Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will be allowed to seek permission to go to tender with a building design to prove it will be delivered on budget; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the board of management is willing to bear the cost of a full redesign and tender competition if it fails to deliver on budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36137/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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In April 2019, my Department approved the provision of a 2 Classroom SEN base at the school to which the Deputy refers.

The Stage 1/2a Design (Preliminary/Developed Design) which has recently been submitted shows a significant increase in the scope of works over and above that approved. 

The school has been advised to revise the scope of the project in line with that which has been approved.  Under the Additional Accommodation Scheme the grant approved for each project is calculated to cover the cost of the approved works.  It is unreasonable to expect that an increased scope of works would still cost the same. Furthermore, the Department considers that the proposal referred to by the Deputy would give rise to a serious delay in the delivery of the project.

Therefore, and until the scope of works is brought back in line with that approved, the project cannot proceed to planning stage.