Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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261. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter regarding a new build for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44728/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for major capital funding to my Department.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Development Plan (NDP) provides for an €8.4 billion investment in school buildings over the period 2018 to 2027 to deliver on NDP and National Planning Framework objectives through addressing the twin priorities of catering for demographics and ensuring a strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock. This investment will result in an almost doubling of the capital budget for school buildings - €540m in 2018 rising to an annual average of circa. €1 billion in the second half of the NDP period.

The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands including prefab replacement, PE hall and school laboratory build and modernisation programmes as well as the commencement and progression of a deep energy retrofit of primary and post-primary schools built prior to 2008.

The application from the school referred to by the Deputy remains available to be considered in this context.

Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB, has received the pre-qualification report from the design team for a new build for a school (details supplied); if the report has been approved; when actual tenders will be invited for the construction project from the shortlist of contractors; the length of time the actual tender process will take; when a tenderer will be awarded the construction contract; the estimated construction timetable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44731/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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While my Department understands that the pre-qualification process for the project to which the Deputy refers is well advanced, a pre-qualification report is still awaited in my Department. This is expected shortly. Once this has been received and reviewed, my Department expects to be in a position to firm up approval for the project to proceed to tender to the short listed contractors. Until the prequalification process has been finalised, it is not possible to say when the tender process will be completed and when the contract will be awarded.