Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the delivery of a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1807/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is included in the current 6 year construction programme announced in November, 2015.  An acquisition process to acquire a suitable site to accommodate the new school building is currently underway.

Officials in my Department have been working closely with officials from Cork County Council towards such an acquisition and a suitable site option has been identified and deemed to be technically feasible.  Negotiations have taken place with the landowner and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that agreement in principle for the acquisition of the site by my Department has been reached. 

The site acquisition process will now progress to the conveyancing stage where the necessary due diligence will be undertaken by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office on my behalf.  The acquisition will be subject to the satisfactory completion of the legal conveyance process.

I can assure the Deputy that my officials will continue to work to finalise the acquisition of a suitable site as expeditiously as possible and once this is completed the project will progress into architectural planning.