Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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530. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of development works at a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26014/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The school in question is included, along with five others, in the Schools PPP Bundle 5 programme which is currently at tender stage.

Planning permission has been sought from Wicklow County Council for the development of the site in question. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has refused planning permission for an access road into the site. However, my Department is considering its options with a view to resolving the issues raised by this refusal. It has engaged with the key stakeholders in this respect and has also lodged an appeal of the decision to An Bord Pleanala.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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531. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in determining an application for additional funding to link the new extension to the existing school building in the case of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare, with particular reference to the ongoing health and safety concerns in this instance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26043/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that additional funding has been approved for the school in question and the school authority has been informed.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The project referred to by the Deputy is currently at the Design Team appointment Stage. Upon completion of the appointment of the Design Team, my Department Officials will be in direct contact with the Board of Management to commence Stage 1 of Architectural Planning, which is the initial sketch design stage.

It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's building programme to construction concurrently due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget. However, School building projects, including the project for this school, 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 my Department in the future.