Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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207. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number, location and value of lands acquired by his Department by way of CPO in the past three years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23240/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not have statutory Compulsory Purchase Order powers but Local Authorities have used their powers to assist in the acquisition of land for educational use.

While the CPO process has been used previously for school site acquisitions with the assistance of local authorities, it is generally only suitable when all efforts to acquire the site by agreement and the acquisition of all other viable site options have been unsuccessful. 

CPOs have also been used to overcome title issues associated with sites or access to sites.

Two CPOs by local authorities in respect of lands for educational use have completed in the past three years to date:

1. CPO by Louth County Council in respect of a circa 7 acre portion of school site at Dundalk.  The acquisition cost in this respect was €965,000 plus VAT.  The onward transfer of the entire school site into my ownership has not yet completed.

2. CPO by South Dublin County Council (SDCC) in respect of a small portion of a school site in Knocklyon.  The school site was in SDCC ownership and this CPO was for SDCC's title regularisation purposes.  The consideration paid to SDCC was in respect of the purchase of the overall school site and was not a CPO cost to my Department.