Written answers

Tuesday, 24 April 2007

Department of Education and Science

Schools Building Projects

11:00 pm

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 947: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when a design team will be appointed for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare. [15231/07]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Representatives of the Board of Management of the school to which the Deputy refers attended an Information Seminar in Tullamore on 13 December hosted by the School Building Section. The steps necessary to initiate the design phase of the eighty building projects announced by me in November were discussed at that meeting and all schools were advised that architectural design teams would be appointed to their projects over the coming months. My School Building Section will begin advertising for these design teams shortly through the public procurement portal, www.etenders.gov.ie Progression of all projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2007-2013. Over €4.8 billion will be provided for school building infrastructure under the new NDP 2007-2013.

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 948: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there is an opening date set for the extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare. [15234/07]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that this project is substantially complete with the exception of some items such as landscaping and the installation of equipment in one room. It is expected that some of the new rooms will be ready for use in the coming days with the remainder in use within 2 weeks.

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 949: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to the Adjournment debate of 4 April 2007, in relation to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare, if she is saying that it is not possible to appoint a design team on a full-time basis to clear the planning stage of the new school and that it is not possible to find a contractor to build a new school in less than 18 months or if it is too costly to do it this way and that is the reason she has broken her repeated pledges to fast track the provision of the new school. [15237/07]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In the adjournment debate referred to by the Deputy I clearly set out the approach taken on this project by my Department and the School Authority. It is clear that progress is being made in relation to appointing a design team and as the Deputy is no doubt aware, the matter of sourcing a contractor can only occur when the new school building has been fully designed by the design team and planning permission has been received from the Local Authority. Once again, I direct the Deputy's attention to the fact that my School Building Section has been in close contact with the School Authority throughout this process and understand that they are satisfied with the manner in which their project is being progressed.

With regard to the site issue the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department generally on the acquisitions of sites for schools, has identified a suitable site for the proposed new school in Kill. Agreement on the site acquisition has been reached subject to contract. While draft contracts have been exchanged, I am advised that the conveyancing process continues to be delayed pending the outcome of a planning application by the vendor. In the meantime however, and subject to securing the site and as a follow on from my announcement in November last, the architectural planning process for the school has commenced.

The first key step in this process is to appoint an architectural design team who will design and plan the works. To that end, an advertisement seeking design team consultants was placed on the public procurement portal, www.etenders. gov.ie, on Monday 26th March last, with the closing date for the receipt of Expressions of Interest being Friday 27th April. After these pre-qualification applications have been assessed by my School Building Section, further instructions will issue to all of the short-listed candidates seeking further submissions so that phase two of the appointment process (the Award Stage) can commence. I have been advised that the design team should be formally appointed in July.

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