Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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247. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 329 of 20 October 2020, if she will provide a timeframe in respect of the matter. [35922/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design.

Updated and amended tender documentation requested upon review of the revised Stage 2(b) report has recently been reviewed by my Department. Further comments have issued to the Design Team who have been requested to carry out a final review of all of its tender documentation to ensure compliance with Department requirements and to submit written confirmation from each Design Team member when this work has been completed.

In order to expedite the progression of this project, my Department recently authorised the Design Team to commence the pre-qualification process to select a short-list of contractors while the Department was reviewing the additional tender documentation submitted.

Upon receipt of Design Team confirmations and completion of the pre-qualification process and subject to no issues arising, my Department will be in contact with the Design Team and school with regard to the further progression of this project to the next stage of architectural planning - Stage 3 (Tender Stage).

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

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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248. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 373 of 20 October 2020, when a detailed reply will issue to the question raised. [35941/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that overall costs for the period Q4 2018 to the end to the end Q2 2020 were €89.9m excluding VAT and €104.1m including VAT. Costs reflect the very significant level of works completed in 2019 and 2020, complexities to be managed with detailed investigations, developing a remediation solution, retrofitting existing buildings and the need to have detailed and robust arrangements in place to record the investigations and works while ensuring that the schools remained operational where possible.

Given the legal process for the recovery of costs is at quite an advanced stage, with 2 cases in the Commercial Court and proceedings issued and served in relation to all other 38 schools, the legal advice to the Department is to avoid commentary in the public domain on the details of the Schools Remediation Programme including in relation to costs.