Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Whatever about the previous issue, I thank the Cathaoirleach for his compliments.

I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh. I thank the Senator for raising it. I am happy to clarify the position on the development of permanent accommodation for Dún Laoghaire Educate Together national school.

Following a national demographic exercise, it was determined that the opening of a new primary school in September 2017 was required to ensure there would be sufficient primary school places to serve the Dún Laoghaire school planning area. Following a patronage appointment process, Educate Together was appointed as patron of the new school. The school is located in interim accommodation on the grounds of the Red Door School in Monkstown Grove in Monkstown. Dún Laoghaire Educate Together national school has two class groups and there is sufficient accommodation for the school for the 2018-19 school year. Additional accommodation will be required from September 2019 onwards. Departmental officials will work to put the necessary arrangements in place to ensure the school will continue to have suitable interim accommodation, pending delivery of a permanent school building.

The Department is committed to providing a permanent accommodation solution. In that regard, a project to deliver a 16-classroom school building for Dún Laoghaire Educate Together national school has been included the Department’s six-year capital programme. The acquisition of a site is required to facilitate the delivery of the project. The Senator will appreciate that the acquisition of school sites in highly developed urban areas where land is extremely scarce presents particular challenges for the Department. Not surprisingly, that has proved to be the case in Dún Laoghaire. While a number of potential site options were identified with the assistance of officials in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to date, all have proved to be either unsuitable or unavailable for acquisition. Nonetheless, departmental officials continue to work towards the provision of a suitable site for Dún Laoghaire Educate Together national school and have been engaging with relevant parties, with a view to putting an appropriate solution in place. At this juncture it is not possible to give a timeframe as the Department is still working to identify an optimum solution for the school. Negotiations with a property owner or other external exigencies may influence the timeframe for delivery of the site. However, the process is being progressed as quickly as possible, with a view to securing a site at the earliest possible date. Once a site for the school has been secured, the project to deliver permanent accommodation can be progressed to the architectural planning process. On behalf of the Minister, I assure the Senator that the provision of a permanent school building in a suitable location is a priority for the Department and that officials are working to advance the project as quickly as possible.