Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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469. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) has recently been informed that funding is not available to commence its building project even though the previous Minister confirmed that building would commence in 2016; the reason this project has been delayed relative to other projects that were given a similar commitment by the previous Minister; when building at the school will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25830/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been granted.

However, on January 1st 2016 there were 66 major projects under construction. Since the start of this year a total of 50 more major projects have been progressed to construction or are currently authorised to complete the tender process with a view to starting on site before the end of this year. That represents a total of 116 major projects either under construction or progressing to construction in 2016. These projects were authorised to proceed under previous Minister O'Sullivan, and this means that the existing contractual commitments for 2016 now fully account for the funding which was allocated for 2016 by the previous Minister and carry a significant contractual commitment into 2017.

This project is on the 2016-21 Construction Programme and my Department is fully committed to progressing the project to construction.

My Department officials will continue to closely monitor expenditure on existing contractual commitments over the coming months and, as funding allows, other projects, including the project for the school in question, will be considered for progression through the tender process with a view to starting on site as soon as possible.