Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will respond to the two main points raised by Deputy Nash. The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and her Department are fully committed to the provision of the new school building for Ardee Educate Together National School. In the wider context, I assure the Deputy that the Department is very conscious of the need to continue to support the operation of the school system and intends to provide clarity for individual schools about their school building projects that are on hold, as quickly as possible. We hope that the review with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform will conclude reasonably quickly, which will provide clarity.

Deputy Nash referred to Newport College. I am familiar with the project as Newport is in my constituency. There was a revision of the public procurement framework for building. I do not know that will work in the current context but I suspect it is a general national development that will apply to capital projects. The most important point is that the Minister for Education is determined to provide clarity to schools reasonably quickly. Discussions are ongoing with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and we hope they will conclude pretty quickly. In the specific case raised by the Deputy of Ardee Educate Together National School, the hope is that the principal, staff, students and parents will have their school building project going to tender and built as quickly as possible.

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