Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department works with local authorities in the delivery of services; and if so, the details of same. [42560/12]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department engage with local authorities in the provision of services and if so the details of same. [42581/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together.

I can confirm to the Deputy that as a matter of course there is ongoing liaison between my Department and local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any proposed major housing developments and their possible implications for school provision. This level of close co-operation is underpinned by a Code of Practice for planning authorities on the provision of schools and the planning system.

In addition, I recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the County and City Managers' Association on cooperation between local authorities and my Department on the identification and acquisition of sites for school buildings.

Furthermore, in order to expedite the process of delivering projects and to maximise the output from within existing resources, my Department has been exploring alternative methods of delivering major school building projects. Louth County Council delivered a 16 classroom primary school on a greenfield site in Drogheda earlier this year and are currently engaged in the delivery of a post primary school on the same site. Discussions are ongoing with another local authority on the possible delivery of a school.