Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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933. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made to accommodate a new school (details supplied) for the 2021-2022 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15595/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to the school to which the Deputy refers work is currently ongoing in relation to sourcing interim accommodation. I can confirm that the school will open in September 2021 in suitable interim accommodation pending delivery of its permanent building.

The permanent school building project, for the school referred to by the Deputy, has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme.

The Design and Build delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.  Architectural Planning has commenced with site surveys completed and design development underway and a pre-planning meeting has been held with the local authority.

It is expected that the planning application for this school will be lodged in Quarter 2 2021. Until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured, it is not possible to provide an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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934. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made to accommodate a new school (details supplied) for the 2021-2022 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15596/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department remains committed to providing permanent accommodation to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. As the Deputy is aware, officials in my Department have been actively engaging with officials from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council via emails, phone calls and through online meeting platforms to establish all relevant information in respect of two site options so that a determination as to the optimum configuration of school sites can be made at the earliest possible date. As a result, the site acquisition is progressing well.

However, once my officials achieve agreement in principle on the final site, the Patron will be advised of the location without delay and the site acquisition will proceed to the conveyancing stage.