Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy knows well that they will not because the contract for the temporary school was signed for three years. She knows that. The site will be ready in mid-November. The contractors have been appointed and they will move from that temporary accommodation, which is not satisfactory, in mid-November as planned and agreed. The Department went to councillors in the area.

The area has suffered from bad planning - that much is correct - and has done for many years, mainly under previous Administrations, I am keen to point out yet again.

To be clear, Department officials viewed the site for this temporary building for the next three years in February this year. On 24 March, Department officials held a pre-planning meeting with officials in Dublin City Council to discuss the proposed planning application for the conversion of the building to a temporary school that would be satisfactory for the next three years. The Department's consultant architect had further discussions before the planning application with officials in the traffic and drainage section of the local authority in the context of making a planning application. On 7 April, the Department received confirmation from the landlord and secured approval in principal for a three-year lease for a temporary school as well as approval to lodge a planning application. The planning application was lodged less than two weeks later on 24 April. The local authority subsequently returned a request for additional information relating to drainage, provision of footpaths and a pedestrian crossing. This was after we held a pre-planning meeting with the local authority in March. It delayed the application, but planning permission was granted initially on 12 August and fully granted on 17 September. Things are moving now for mid-November and the project is on track.

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