Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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201. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new school (details supplied); the stage the development is at; the remaining procedures still to be followed; when construction work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50334/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2b – Detailed Design.

This project was authorised to commence the Pre-Qualification of Contractors in May 2018. My Department has been informed that the Design Team Leader published the contract notice inviting contractors to tender for Pre-Qualification on e-tenders on 2 August 2018 with a closing date for receipt of submissions of 10 September 2018. The Design Team is currently assessing the expressions of interest. A pre-qualification report will be compiled and forwarded to the Department once this exercise is complete.

In parallel, a tender process is ongoing to appoint a replacement Quantity Surveyor who will commence work on this project from Stage 3 (Tender Stage).

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

A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.

In March 2018 my Department issued a letter to the school and its Design Team outlining the projected timeframe for the progression of this project to tender and construction stage and the steps involved.