John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the position regarding the proposed extension to a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20970/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The building project for an extension to the school referred to by the Deputy is included in the Five Year Construction Programme to proceed to Tender and Construction in 2014/15. The design team on the project had reached completion of Stage 1 of Architectural Planning. As part of that work it has now been agreed by my Department that extensive refurbishment works to the existing school will also be required.

My Department has recently approved a significantly increased scope of works for the project to incorporate those refurbishment works. Arising from this expansion in the scope of works it has become necessary to commence a tender exercise for the appointment of a new design team to take the project forward from this point.

A fully revised brief for that tender competition is currently being finalised and the process of Design Team appointment will commence shortly.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the position regarding an extension to schools (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20971/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is completing stage 2(a) of architectural planning. Following the Stage 2(a) Stakeholders meeting which was held in February 2014 between my Department Officials, the Boards of Management and their Design Team, an addendum report was requested to clarify a number of points. This report has been received and is under review. Upon completion of this review and subject to no further issues arising the project will be progressed to Stage 2(b) which includes applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the preparation of tender documents.

Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012.

School building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have been initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.