Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The school referred to by the Deputy is an all-Irish national school serving the heart of Dublin city which is currently located in rented accommodation in Parnell Square. Current enrolment stands at 202 pupils with a current staffing of one principal plus eight mainstream teaching posts and three special education support teachers. The site for the school is quite restricted and is bounded by Dominick Street Lower to the front, Dominick Place to the rear and No. 20 Dominick Street to the north which is a protected structure.

The original design brief for this project was for an eight-classroom primary school and a team to design this project was appointed by open competition in December 2012. However, due to increasing enrolments, the brief increased to a 16-classroom school. The project has been designed up to stage 2A - developed design - as an eight-classroom primary school by this design team with a design indication option of how a 16-classroom school could be fitted into this restrictive site. In April of last year, the services of this design team were terminated by mutual agreement and it became necessary to commence the tender process to appoint a new design team to complete fully a stage 2A, developed-design report for the 16-classroom school. This process is nearing completion, letters of intent have issued to each of the disciplines and once final documentation checks are completed in full, my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities to advise them as to the next steps in the process. The progression of this project through architectural planning and into construction will be dealt with as part of my Department's schools building programme 2016 to 2021.

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