Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department entered into discussions with the EU with regard to the relocation of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11092/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The decision to close the European School (ES) Culham and to establish the Europa School UK, located on the same and on an adjacent site was taken by the Board of Governors of the European Schools in 2007 and 2014 respectively. My Department was represented on the Board of Governors of the European Schools by an Assistant Chief Inspector during this decision making process.

The ES, Culham was established in 1978 to support the EFTA- JET nuclear fusion project. When a decision was made to expand the JET project at its French site in Cardarache, the ‘raison-d’etre’ for a full Type I ES in Culham ceased to exist.

Following the publication of the Van Dijk report (2007) on the viability of the school going-forward, a decision was taken by the Board of Governors in April 2007 to phase out the ES, Culham over a period of 10 years. The ES, Culham will close its doors at the end of this school year.

In order to ensure multi-lingual education and a future school for those ES, Culham students who would not otherwise be in a position to complete their secondary education to Baccalaureate level, a group of parents of ES, Culham decided to pursue the establishment of a multi-lingual free school. Thus the Europa School UK was established in 2012.

This school was officially recognised by the Board of Governors as an accredited school of the ES system in December, 2014.