Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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195. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the amalgamation of the national schools in Cahir, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27659/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the amalgamation process involving the Cahir schools will be finalised with the delivery of the major school building project.

In that regard, the major building project is currently in Architectural Planning. The school were approved to proceed to Stage 2b-Detailed Design in April 2018 and the Design Team are currently working on the Stage 2b report. Planning Permission has been received and the Disability Access Certificate and Fire Safety Certificate have been granted. The Department has written to the school outlining the timeframe for progression of the project to tender and construction stage and the steps involved.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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196. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the work being carried out at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27660/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.

The Stage 2b submission has been approved by the Department and the school and Design Team are currently engaged in the prequalification process to select a shortlist of contractors for tender stage. Pre-qualification normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete.

Once the prequalification process is complete my Department will be in contact with the Board of Management with a view to progressing the project to tender stage.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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197. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to open an Educate Together post-primary school in east County Cork. [27661/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, I announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 600 pupil post-primary school for the Ballincollig school planning area to be established in 2021. This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.

In addition to the new schools announced, there will be a need for further school accommodation in other areas in the future.  Based on the current analysis, this need can be addressed through either planned capacity increases in existing schools or additional accommodation or extensions to existing schools. It is important to note that approximately 40% of extra school places are delivered by extending existing schools, rather than by building new schools.

While the announcement did not include a new post-primary school for East County Cork, I have highlighted that the requirement for new schools will be kept under on-going review and in particular would have regard for the increased rollout of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040.

A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required.  This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons.  Parental preferences for each patron, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.