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

I thank the Deputy for raising this. We had a meeting on this not so long ago. The project in respect of the education campus in Buncrana is included in my Department's capital programme.

The Department is working closely with Donegal County Council in relation to the proposed site acquisition. The site acquisition process to date has been protracted.

A number of options are available to progress the site acquisition process and these options are being thoroughly appraised to ensure value for money for the State. Officials in my Department are working with council officials to determine the most appropriate next steps and the school authorities will be kept informed of developments.

I recently met representatives of the schools concerned and I can assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to expedite the site acquisition process.

Once the site acquisition is complete, the project can progress to architectural planning stage.

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