Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not envy your position in the Chamber on occasions such as this when Members have had a long day, but I absolutely appreciate that Deputy Brady is very concerned about this matter. I thank him for accommodating me in giving a reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, who wanted to be here but could not because of changes to the schedule of business during the day.

I will use the opportunity to clarify the current position on the accommodation needs of North Wicklow Educate Together post-primary school. As the Deputy is aware, the school was established in 2016. As an interim measure and with the assistance of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, ETB, the school was housed in a property leased by the ETB on Putland Road in Bray. The school opened with an enrolment of 36 pupils and the numbers are growing incrementally, with an enrolment of 176 pupils in 2018. A major capital project for the provision of permanent accommodation for North Wicklow Educate Together post-primary school to cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils is being addressed through the Department's six-year construction programme.

The Department's capital programme continues to address the challenge posed by a rapidly increasing school population, including in areas such as County Wicklow. It is the Department's intention to construct a new school for 1,000 pupils for North Wicklow Educate Together post-primary school on the site of Bray Institute of Further Education, BIFE. There are no other sites available within Bray. It is also proposed to provide enhanced accommodation for Bray Institute of Further Education as part of this development. The ETB had previously confirmed to the Department that it was supportive of this campus development, but it has since indicated to it that it needs to further consider the matter of the proposed development on the BIFE site. The Department is anxious to initiate the architectural planning process to facilitate the development and continuing to engage with the ETB in that regard.

The Department is aware that the existing lease on the Putland Road building is due to expire in 2019. As the Deputy knows, the terms of the lease require the school to vacate the property by 30 April 2019. The Department is exploring all options, with a view to finding a new temporary home for the school, and liaising with the patron body of Educate Together and Kildare and Wicklow ETB in that regard. The Putland Road property has been advertised for sale publicly. In the context of the proposed sale of the property, the Department has indicated to the vendor that it would be interested in exploring the potential to license or lease the property from a potential purchaser, should the purchaser be amenable to such an arrangement.

In the event that the school has to vacate the Putland Road property in advance of the State examinations in 2019, the Department requested the school authority to explore options for hosting the examinations elsewhere. In excess of 35 students are due to sit the junior certificate examinations in 2019. The school authority has advised the Department that it has identified some options should this be necessary and is interrogating the options further. They include using local schools, community halls and, potentially, hotels. The Department will continue to engage with the ETB and the patron of North Wicklow Educate Together on the school's accommodation needs.

I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity on behalf of the Minister to outline the position to the House. The Department is seeking to ensure both the interim and long-term accommodation needs of North Wicklow Educate Together post-primary school will be provided for.

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