Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. Ar son an Aire Oideachais, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar seo a phlé. Tugann sé deis dom eolas a thabhairt don Seanad faoin dul chun cinn atá déanta mar gheall ar an bhfoirgneamh nua do Ghaelscoil Ruairí. The school building project for Gaelscoil Ruairí will deliver a new, eight-classroom primary school and accommodation and that includes two classrooms for children with special educational needs. The project will be delivered under the Department's employer led design programme. This uses a professional, external project manager to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.

The project for Gaelscoil Ruairí currently has planning permission and it will, along with a number of other projects, be brought to the level of employer-led design with a design team assigned to do so under the supervision of the Department's project manager. The process of appointing the design team from the Department's framework of consultants was completed in September 2023 and the project is currently close to completion of stage 2b of the architectural design process. Stage 2b includes detailed design and the preparation of tender documents. The next stage, when stage 2b is approved, will be stage 3 and that is tender stage. Projects are subject to relevant due diligence at each stage in the process and within the context of overall programme and budgetary parameters.

Gaelscoil Ruairí is currently located in interim accommodation on the Moyglare campus site in Maynooth and the school has sufficient accommodation for September 2024. The Department will continue to address the school's interim accommodation requirements, pending delivery of its permanent accommodation.