Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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846. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will arrange a meeting with representatives of her Department to include the senior architect and Clare County Council to discuss and address preplanning issues in respect of the proposed new secondary school in Ennistymon, County Clare. [1620/15]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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860. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the expected completion date for the transfer of lands in respect of a proposed new school (detail supplied) in County Clare; the reasons for the delay in completing the legal process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1701/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 846 and 860 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the religious congregation that owns existing school properties in Ennistymon has offered to transfer the properties concerned to the State as part of its offer made in response to the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the Ryan Report). The land in question, which the Government has agreed to accept, together with the lands already in the ownership of the Department, will be sufficient to meet the overall site requirements of the new school, referred to by the Deputy.

My Department through the Chief State Solicitor's Office is currently working with the Solicitors acting on behalf of the Congregation concerned on the legal procedures and mechanisms required to facilitate the transfer of this additional land. A technical assessment of the site has been carried out and officials from my Department have also been in contact with officials in Clare County Council to obtain the clarifications required at this point. Due diligence applies with regard to the above but I can assure the Deputy the matter is being progressed.

Once the necessary legal conveyancing process to facilitate the site transfer has been completed, a design team will be appointed to progress the project to planning stage.