Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a contract has been signed for the site for the new school building for a school (details supplied); and the new timeline for the commencement and delivery of the building. [20214/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for this school is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained.

Authorisation to recommence the pre-qualification process has recently been issued to the Design Team and school. The notice was published on the etenders platform on 26th April with responses due back on 27th May 2019.

When the pre-qualification process for the main contract and reserved specialists contracts is complete, the project will then be progressed to tender stage.

Regarding the site acquisition, legal representatives for both parties are working together with a view to concluding the conveyancing. There continues to be progress on foot of close and intense engagement from all parties. All parties continue the work to ensure the acquisition completes at the earliest possible date and at this point it is not anticipated that the completion of conveyancing will impact on the timelines for delivery of the building project.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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65. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a site has been considered for the new second-level school for south County Kildare; if negotiations have begun with the Department of Defence; the details of correspondence on same; and the number of meetings that have taken place between the KWETB and Educate Together. [20215/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department recently completed a review of provision at post-primary level across the school planning areas in the South Kildare area. My Department is satisfied that the needs in the area can be met through the replacement and expansion of the existing Curragh Post-Primary School with a new 1,000 pupil school building. It is intended that the expansion of the existing Curragh Post-Primary school, a multi-denominational Community College under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), will also cater for demand arising in the adjoining Newbridge and Kildare school planning areas. There is capacity in the existing Curragh Post-Primary school building pending delivery of the new school .

A new site will be required for the new school and my Department has commenced the site identification process . In line with protocols for the use of State property assets, my Department has written to the Department of Defence enquiring if the Department is in a position to provide a site that could be suitable. Due to commercial sensitivities surrounding site acquisitions in general, I cannot comment further at this point in the process, though I can assure the Deputy that my Department is making every effort to progress the matter.

Some initial engagement has taken place in relation to the potential for Educate Together to become a Trustee Partner for the school in a similar arrangement to those implemented elsewhere (e.g. Clonturk Community College with City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) as patron of the school and Educate Together as a Trustee Partner). The Department is satisfied that the needs of the area can be met through the expansion of this multi-denominational post-primary school.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers is devolved to the OPW for delivery.

I can confirm that the enabling works, involving the re-routing and under-grounding of ESB cables, is expected to be completed in May 2019.

I can further confirm that a planning application for PV panels was lodged with Cork County Council on the 4^thDecember 2018 and full planning permission in that respect was finalised on the 3^rdMarch 2019.

Furthermore, a list of Main Contractors and Reserved Specialists has been established following pre-qualification processes and work on Tender documents is progressing. It is now expected that tenders will issue in the next four to six weeks.

On completion of the tender process, the project will move into the construction stage.