Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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476. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a site meeting involving departmental officials took place at a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; if so, the outcome of the meeting; when the major project for this school will be scheduled to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25901/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning and my Department is fully committed to progressing the project to construction. All statutory approvals have been obtained and the Stage 2b submission has been approved by my Department.

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 commence 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.

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.

The Board of Management and their Design Team have also been advised that arising from recent changes to the Public Works Contracts (PWCs), some further work will be required in relation to the tender documents to bring them into line with the changes to the Contracts which were introduced earlier this year.

A request for a meeting with my Department officials has been received from the school authority and my Department is currently liaising with the school to agree a suitable date for this meeting.