Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The major building project for Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, Ballygunner, Waterford, will be delivered under the Department's accelerated delivery of architectural planning and tendering, ADAPT, programme. This 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, ultimately, construction. This is the third ADAPT delivery programme undertaken by my Department since 2016 and involves major building projects for 30 schools, including, as the Deputy referenced, the new school for Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge.

The tender process to appoint the project manager commenced in December and is now complete. The appointed project manager carried out a site visit to Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge on 24 June. The Department recently contacted the school authority with an update regarding the completion of the project manager appointment and the upcoming tender process for the appointment of a design team. The role of the design team is to design the project in accordance with the Department's design team procedures. This involves various stages, including preliminary design, detailed design, planning permissions and then onwards to tender and constriction.

Until the design team has a preferred design option agreed and fully costed, and until all statutory applications have been granted in stage 2(b) of architectural planning, it will not be possible to provide timelines regarding the progression of the project to tender and construction stages. The anticipated timelines for projects in the ADAPT programme to complete the pre-tender stage of architectural planning is within 24 months of the design team appointment. As I noted, this does not include the time that could be involved if there are delays in the planning application process, or an appeal to An Bord Pleanála is encountered, but it will be the timetable to which the project manager and the design team are guided to work towards.

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