Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

31. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the location and size of the site for a school (details supplied); when works will commence on the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2755/19]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister confirm the size of the site acquired for the Edmund Rice college on the site of the Phoenix Park racecourse adjacent to the local GAA club, St. Brigid's? Will he confirm when work is likely to commence on the site? Has it been formally acquired? Will there be an agreement to take up the very kind offer of St. Brigid's GAA Club to share sports facilities and, perhaps, other facilities with the school on the site of the Phoenix Park racecourse?

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. As she will be aware, a building project to deliver permanent accommodation for Edmund Rice College Carpenterstown-Castleknock is included in my Department’s six-year construction programme and will be delivered under my Department's 2020 design and build programme. It is intended to provide the new school building on a site of approximately six acres at the former Phoenix Park racecourse at Castleknock. Work on completing the transfer of the site into my ownership is under way.

A project brief in respect of the school is being finalised and a tender competition is already in progress to appoint the project management team for the 2020 and 2021 design and build programme, of which the project forms part. The tender competition is expected to be completed by March. When appointed, the project manager will lodge an application for planning permission and progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.

My Department is working to deliver the school's permanent accommodation at the earliest possible date. In the interim, since September 2018, the school has been based at the former Institute of Horology property, Mill Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, on a temporary basis.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

First, residents and parents in the area will welcome the news that what we have known for some time has finally been confirmed and that acquisition of the site is under way. There has been massive concern both this year and last year about the lack of second level school places in Dublin 15, Castleknock and areas around Ongar. I know that the Minister was only recently appointed, but since the Government took office, we have gone back to numbers in respect of a crisis that we have not seen for more than seven years. There is a lot of ground to be made up.

On the Minister's reference to a design and build contract, we had a discussion here about the unfortunate events that happened in Tyrrelstown. According to the analysis offered to me by various people involved in building and construction, design and build is not the best model because it means that the architects and the building company that will carry out construction are one and the same. This means that there may not be the necessary oversight. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure the quality of the build and design in order that the unfortunate events in Tyrrelstown will not be repeated?

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In her previous contribution, Deputy Burton asked about St. Brigid's GAA club, to which I meant to refer. With regard to playing pitches, in line with all new schools, there will be a high standard of sports facilities on site. Furthermore, it is intended that a public playing pitch will form part of the wider development in the area. The proposed school site is adjacent to St. Brigid's GAA club but any access by a school to off-site facilities is typically by local arrangement. I am sure that the relationship between the school and the GAA club is a conversation that will go on between them. The new school, however, will have plenty of sports pitches.

On the question on trying to deal with the population explosion, we are managing that. This is why we used GIS to identify 42 new schools for areas where there will be pressures. In addition, up to 40% of additional accommodation will be provided by existing schools. There is a great emphasis on forward planning within the Department to ensure this happens.

The Deputy also asked what we can do to ensure that we do not make the mistakes of the past such as not having proper insight into what was happening on a building site. We now have a clerk of works on every one of these sites and that will continue. It is important that this happens but ultimately it is a question that faces everybody who builds in the private and public sectors as ultimately, the designers and contractors have full responsibility in ensuring the buildings they build are safe and fit for purpose.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the Minister could clarify that. He has described it as a design and build contract. After we found out about the Tyrrelstown school issues, all of the experts told us it would be much better if there was an independent architect and design area and for the contractor to be separate. When they were wrapped up together, as was the case with Western Building Systems, it seemed to pose a very high risk in respect of the enormous difficulties and the huge work and cost the Department has incurred. How is this different from what happened then? The Minister is using the same description.

On St. Brigid's GAA club I am glad to hear that the Department has a very positive attitude to co-operation between St. Brigid's and Edmund Rice College.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To be clear, it is not the Department, it is the school that is co-operating.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This is what I want to ask the Minister. The six-acre site is a very small site. Is the Minister saying that the school will have to enter into an entirely separate agreement with the GAA? Alternatively, does the Department expect to fund any costs that might arise as a consequence of the school being able to avail of that fabulous local GAA club? They are being very generous in offering this but I do not believe that anybody would like to see them severely out of pocket as a consequence. There may be costs involved.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The only thing I will say with regard to St. Brigid's is that the new site is adjacent to it and like every local parish or community, there are competent people in these organisations who will talk to one another. If there are any issues that need to be resolved, no doubt they will overcome them.

Design-build-operate contracts build good schools if they are built in the right way. It happens throughout the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government also with different types of rapid-build programmes. They work if they are built and done in the proper fashion. Since the introduction of the new building control legislation, we have had a clerk of works on every site. We will ensure that from the day the first sod is turned on this school, there will be a clerk of works on that site.