Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

371. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the urgency of the plight of a school (details supplied); the provisions in place to ensure that second level education will be available to the 2017/2018 intake of students at a school; the provision in place to meet the 2017/2018 need if the national school in Belarmine is unable to accommodate the school; the reason for the delay in the construction in Belarmine; and the status of the provision of a permanent Educate Together secondary school in Stepaside. [41302/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy may be aware Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School opened in September 2016 and is currently operating in temporary accommodation in Stepaside.

In line with the arrangements in place under the Memorandum of Understanding on the acquisition of school sites for school planning purposes, my Department is working closely with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council towards acquiring a permanent site for the school.

Pending delivery of the permanent post-primary school building, it is planned that this post-primary school will move on an interim basis to share the new school building which is being provided for Stepaside Educate Together National School (Stepaside ETNS), when the building is delivered.  In this regard, planning permission was granted on 7 December 2016 for the Stepaside ETNS building, which included a condition requiring that the school provide a shuttle bus service to the new school building before the building can be occupied. My Department has appealed this condition to An Bord Pleanála. Unfortunately this will delay the construction of the permanent accommodation for Stepaside ETNS by the 4-6 months that it takes for An Bord Pleanála to make a decision on the matter.

My Department is liaising with Educate Together regarding suitable temporary accommodation for the post-primary school for the coming school year.