Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is the soul of wit. The project for Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers is included in the Department’s construction programme, which is being delivered under the national development plan as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework. Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion in capital investment over the period from 2021 to 2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high-quality building projects with a real focus on sustainability for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on the good progress being made in adding capacity to cater for demographic changes and provision for children with special educational needs. This investment will also facilitate an increased focus on the modernisation of existing school stock and help transition the school system for an era of net zero carbon by 2050.

The brief for this project for Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers is the development of a new 16-classroom Gaelscoil with two classrooms for pupils with special educational needs and all associated site works on the site adjacent to the current school at Farranferris in Cork city. The major building project will be delivered under the Department's ADAPT programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the accelerated delivery of architectural planning and tendering. The ADAPT programme uses a professional external project manager to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction.

The tender process to appoint a project manager will be completed this week. Once appointed, the project manager will commence the tender process for the appointment of a design team for each of the projects on this ADAPT programme, including a design team for Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers. The Department will keep the school authorities informed of the progression of these appointments as they proceed.

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