Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I wish to reiterate that the concerns the architect raised in his report will be taken into consideration by the building and planning unit. The distance that pupils have to travel to go to school will also be taken into account. What will primarily be taken into account is the fact that it is a building dating from 1865 and whether it is a viable option for reconfiguration in the first instance. I have been told by the Department that the assessment will proceed as soon as possible. It is to be hoped that we will be in a favourable position to come back to the Senator.

I thank St. Mel's College for co-operating with the Department in terms of outlining any issues that need to be agreed. They have been agreed, which is good. That has been satisfactory in terms of concluding that aspect of the process. Once the assessment has been completed we will then be in a position to see whether the project can proceed to planning, and I hope that it will.