Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when approval to go to tender will be given for a school project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30452/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The project referred to by the Deputy has recently been approved to proceed to Stage 3 which involves the tender competition for appointment of the building contractor. The school and its design team have been informed.

Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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242. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30453/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, a project for the school referred is included in my Department’s 6 Year Capital Programme.

Officials from my Department recently advised the school’s Board of Management and the Patron’s representative that following a technical examination of an alternative site being made available by the School Patron, it has been decided that a new school building will be provided for the school referred to by the Deputy on that site. A Schedule of Accommodation and a project brief is currently being finalised. My Department will continue to liaise with the school authorities in relation to the progression of this project.

Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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243. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a school building project will be approved (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30455/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved grant for the construction of a mainstream classroom at the school in question to accommodate a new teacher appointment in September 2016. The school applied for two mainstream classrooms, one to accommodate the new teacher appointment and the other to replace a prefab that is currently being used for mainstream teaching purposes.

The prefab was purchased by the school in 2012 with a grant of €100k provided by my Department. At that time, the school was given the option to build a permanent classroom or purchase a prefab and opted to purchase the prefab. As the prefab is less than 4 years old, my Department cannot justify replacing it. When the new classroom is constructed, the school will have sufficient accommodation for its mainstream classroom needs.