John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Since the North Wicklow Educate Together school in Bray opened in August 2016, it has been treated absolutely appallingly by the Department. It was opened in 2016 in a temporary premises in the old Presentation College on Putland Road in Bray. At the time, the Department was aware of a 2015 High Court agreement between the former owner of the site and the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board that vacation of the premises needed to take place by April 2019. Last year, right up until the 12th hour, the school did not know where it was going to be located for the 2019-20 school year. At the last moment, the Department announced a 12-month extension to that lease, which would run out on 30 June just gone. In January of this year, the Department announced that the school would move temporarily to another old school, the former Ravenswell primary school building in Bray, in September of this year. There is now major concern because, with less than seven weeks to go until the school is due to reopen in that building, a legal difficulty appears to have arisen between the State solicitor and solicitors representing the owners of that site and a licence has not been signed. Significant refurbishment works are due to take place within the premises, which cannot happen until that licence is signed. This school has been treated appallingly by the Department and it is shameful that two Deputies have to come in to the Chamber to try to get answers from the Department and the Minister as to what is going to happen come September.

I have two specific questions for the Minister. First, when will the licence be signed between the two parties to ensure the significant refurbishment works can take place? Second, have tenders been signed to allow that work to take place and are contractors in place in order that it can be done immediately?

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