Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Richmond for raising this matter. I am fully aware of the concerns to which he refers. As the Senator has outlined, the school opened in September 2016 on the grounds of De La Salle Rugby Club in Kiltiernan. It then relocated to temporary accommodation on the site of an Educate Together primary school at Belarmine in Stepaside.

A major project to provide permanent accommodation for this school is included on my Department’s capital programme. Pending delivery of the permanent post-primary school building, it is planned that this school will, on an interim basis, share the new school building which is being provided for the Stepaside Educate Together national school when it is delivered.

As the Senator may be aware, my Department has been working closely with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council under the memorandum of understanding towards the acquisition of a permanent site. Engagement with the council in this respect commenced as far back as 2012. However, as the Senator will appreciate, in this highly urban area there is very limited availability of suitable sites and this, coupled with the high demand for land generally in the area, has led to a protracted site acquisition process.

In respect of the permanent site, I am pleased to inform the Senator that a suitable site option has been identified and a formal offer has been made to the landowner to acquire the site. My Department is awaiting confirmation from the landowner with regard to formal acceptance of this offer. Due to commercial sensitivities, it is unfortunately not possible to disclose the location of the site at this time until formal confirmation of the Department’s offer is received. However the school patron, Educate Together, will be informed of the proposed location as soon as it is possible to do so. The acquisition of the site will be subject to agreement on some technical design issues and satisfactory completion of the conveyancing process, but if agreement in principle is confirmed, it is envisaged that preliminary design work in respect of the school building project can commence while the site acquisition is being completed.I wish to assure the Senator that every effort is being made to progress the permanent accommodation for the school as expeditiously as possible. In the meantime, my Department will continue to liaise with the school on accommodation needs.