Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of a new school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31577/17]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I am seeking an update from the Minister on the status of the development of the new Holy Family school in Cootehill, County Cavan.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware from the reply given by the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, to her Topical Issue matter last week of the current status of this project.

The stage 2(b) detailed design report was recently submitted to my Department by the board of management and its design team. Following receipt of this submission, my Department authorised the board of management to instruct its design team to commence the pre-qualification process for the assessment of suitably qualified contractors to which the project can be tendered. This authorisation was granted by my Department in order to expedite the tender process for this project by running the pre-qualification in tandem with the finalisation of stage 2(b). The design team has commenced this process and the closing date for the e-tenders advertisement was 19 June 2017. The design team has informed my Department that it expects to complete its assessment of the pre-qualification submissions in the coming weeks and it will then submit its report on the shortlist of contractors to my Department.

Following examination of the stage 2(b) report, it became apparent that the submission was incomplete and some additional items which should have been included in the original submission were requested by my Department. A revised submission has been received, which is currently under review. Upon completion of the review of the revised 2(b) submission, my Department will immediately revert to the school with a timeframe to proceed to tender and construction stage.

The stage 2(b) submission is a vital part in the design process and is the final stage prior to the seeking of tenders for the construction of the school building.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Department first approved the project for provision of the Holy Family school in 2015. The Minister will be aware there have been many delays since then. It has taken almost 15 years to get to this point. The Minister will be aware that the design team submission was returned to the school five weeks after it was originally submitted on the basis that information was not correctly labelled or in the right order. I hope that the Department does not intend to further delay progress of this project on the basis of the manner in which a submission is made. There are three weeks remaining within which the Minister must approve stage 2(b). Will he confirm today that the Department will give approval to proceed with the tender and will he give a commitment that his Department will work with the board of management to ensure approval of a contractor at the end of August because I do not want to have to raise this matter again with the Minister in September?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A number of Deputies have raised this matter in the House. I note Deputy Brendan Smith has similarly tabled a question on this issue, which we will come to shortly. The Department is aware of the local concern.

6 o’clock

I do not need to tell the Deputy that a number of matters caused the delay which were not within the control of the Department. A consultant mechanical and electrical engineer was replaced on the design team. As the Deputy is aware, the original proposal was different from the current one. It was based on a two-phase construction programme, but it was decided at the request of the school that this should be changed and we now have a different proposal, which is advancing. The delays in the stage 2B report were caused by omissions, the details of which the Department requires. I am pleased to say the problems identified with the first submission have been addressed but the report has to be fully reviewed. The Department has to provide objective reviews to make sure that this project, when approved and released to tender, will be constructed in a way that meets the timeframe and all the other requirements. This process must be done thoroughly. Neither I nor the building unit is in any doubt about the urgency of this case.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister's response. I am delighted he is present unlike last week when he was not able to be in attendance. It is unfortunate we have had to raise this matter again. As the Minister is aware, the students and the staff in the school are working in what I can only describe as deplorable and appalling conditions. It is unfortunate we have had to raise this matter so many times in this Chamber, but we will keep doing that until this work is progressed. It is one of the most important educational facilities in Cavan-Monaghan. As the Minister is aware, it is providing education for both primary and secondary school students. I was contacted by one parent who told me that four children in his family have had to go through this school. I am not exaggerating when I say that the conditions in the school are deplorable.

I hope the Minister can work with his Department and that it, in turn, will work with the broad of management, that there will be no more delays, that this project will be progressed, that work on it will proceed and be executed as quickly as possible, and that a contractor will be in place by August.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I want to add my voice in support of what Deputy Niamh Smyth said and what Deputy Brendan Smith would also say. This is an extremely important issue that is causing much angst locally. This is a common experience of schools. They find interfacing with the Department difficult. That is no disrespect to the Department officials who are overworked and very busy, but school authorities find it difficult to communicate and get matters right. There must be some other way of reaching out to them to help them get their submissions right in order that matters can proceed at a normal pace.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I can sympathise with what Deputy Thomas Byrne said but the Department is dealing with about 2,000 projects at any given time. It has to operate on the basis of devolved responsibility where design teams develop these proposals on behalf of the patron and make submissions. The decision here to move from a two stage to a one-stage phase was the right one. That decision caused a delay but it was the correct one. There are mistakes in this process but in this case the correct decision was made. It caused a delay but it will mean that a fully integrated project will be completed in one piece for the pupils concerned. That is what we want to deliver.