Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 1292: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to provide a second level school in the Littlepace and Castaheany area of Clonee, Dublin 15, in view of the thousands of new homes in the area; the progress which has been made in acquiring the reserved site in the area for the second level school; when the new school will be given sanction; when she proposes to permit the new school to proceed to contract and to open; and the estimated cost of the site and of the contract for building and fitting the school. [25861/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is planning the development of a new post-primary school in Dublin 15 to serve the growing population of that area. It is intended to progress the provision of the school in Phibblestown area as a design build project. My Department has advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union for design build teams. The short-listing of these teams is currently being undertaken and a project manager has been appointed to manage the delivery of this project.

While it is not possible to state at this early stage when the new school will open, the acquisition process for the site is at an advanced stage. Due to the commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, the information requested by the Deputy relating to site cost is not available for release at present. My Department's policy on all site acquisitions is to treat them with the strictest confidentiality until the acquisition has been completed. This is to ensure my Department will achieve the best value for money option. In the same way, my Department does not publish estimated contract sums to avoid prejudicing the tendering process.