Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the building unit of his Department has met with the principal and/or the board of management with regard to identifying a suitable site for a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18509/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The process of identifying suitable sites for education purposes takes account of a range of factors, including the demographic analysis produced by my Department, any existing applications for capital investment from schools in the area, the Development Plan for the area and the technical guidance documents issued by my Department regarding school design and site suitability. Given the sensitivities associated with land acquisition generally, it is not my Department's usual practice to liaise directly with school authorities in relation to the acquisition of particular sites.

However, I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is working closely with Wicklow County Council in relation to ensuring that suitable land is acquired to cater for both the immediate and longer term educational requirements of the area to which he has referred. This is under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the County and City Managers' Association in 2012. Following a process to identify a suitable site, Wicklow County Council has engaged with a landowner with a view to acquiring a site in the area for the development of school buildings. In this context, I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers is among those in the area which is included on the Five Year construction programme which I announced in March 2012.