Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made in acquiring an environmentally sensitive site (details supplied); the specific areas of land that have been offered by the landowner to his Department for purchase; if he will ensure that any reasonable and fair price agreed will reflect the amenity zoning of the land rather than residential; if discussions have taken place or will take place with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who has asked South Dublin County Council to look at extending the special amenity area order to cover the additional area of St. Edmunsbury not currently protected, with a view to ensuring that the site chosen does not interfere with these plans; if the landowner has not and will not be facilitated with housing development in return for a school site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2879/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department asked the Office Public Works (OPW) to source a site for the above school. OPW identified several potential sites for the school. The Department wrote to South Dublin County Council attaching correspondence it had received from the OPW regarding one of the sites in question. The Local Authority has recently responded indicating their views in relation to a proposed location and this is now under consideration. Due to the commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, the Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to comment on the details of the matter until such a time as the acquisitions have been completed.

The further progression of the acquisition of the site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally. In light of the many competing demands on the capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the acquisition of the school site at this time.