Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tuigim cé chomh deacair is a bhí sé go dtí seo agus tá a fhios agam freisin go bhfuil géarghá ann an scoil a chur chun cinn go tapa. I absolutely understand all the Deputy has outlined and I appreciate the enormous tribute that is richly deserved by the community, which has worked so hard to advance the school and promote it. Indeed, credit is due also to the community for the manner in which it has embraced the school and ensured it has thrived, as the Deputy outlined. I appreciate how important it is to everybody involved in the school that the project be advanced as a priority.

I thank the Deputy for his graciousness in acknowledging the positive step forward that is the completion of the tender process for the appointment of a project manager. The project is part of the ADAPT programme, as I indicated. The next step is the appointment of the design team, which will incorporate a consultant architect, civil structural engineer, building services engineer, quantity surveyor and others. Once it begins, that process will take approximately 12 weeks. The design team will then begin stage 1 of the architectural planning, which will encompass the site investigation, including the condition of the existing school buildings, which is an important consideration, site suitability, the initial sketch scheme and all of that. The next steps will be submission of a pre-stage 1 report to the Department for review and sign-off to develop an agreed design option, followed by the submission of a summary stage 1 report to the Department, based on the agreed preferred design option, for review and approval.

I am absolutely determined that this process will move as quickly as possible for all of the reasons the Deputy rightly outlined. I commend everybody involved in growing and nurturing this very significant school.

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