Written answers

Wednesday, 31 March 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Schools Building Projects

Photo of James LawlessJames Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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612. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status and details of the development of a new building for a school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17212/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction.

An application for Planning Permission in respect of the works was submitted to the relevant Local Authority in September 2020. A Request for Further Information (RFI) was received in October 2020.

My Department’s Design and Build Project Management team are actively working on this RFI and a response will be issued as soon as possible.

As with all school projects, the exact timeframe for delivery of the project will be dependent on the grant of planning permission.

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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613. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17230/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the Carrigtwohill schools campus is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme and planning permission has been secured for the campus project.

The decision to grant planning permission by the Local Authority was subject to 57 conditions primarily related to the specification and construction of a significant road network which is essential to access the school site and which will be built by a third party developer.

My Department, through its Project Managers and their Design Team, continues to work closely with the developer and the Local Authority in relation to the necessary planning compliance documentation for both the schools and the roads. Following agreement with the local authority on compliance matters, the developer has commenced construction of the roads.

My Department has also agreed in principle to the payment of development contributions to the Local Authority in relation to planning conditions 54, 55 and 56. The matter is currently being considered by the Local Authority. If agreed, this will allow the Local Authority to progress the necessary upgrades and traffic management measures necessary on the existing public roads network in a timely manner to coincide with the construction of the schools on the campus.

My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, can be tendered. It is my Department’s intention is to have the tender for the project referred to by the Deputy issued to the Framework as early as possible in Quarter 2 2021.

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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614. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied). [17231/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.

My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects can be tendered. The tender process commenced on the 4th December 2019. The second stage of the tender process which involves the detailed tender for several schools is expected to be concluded shortly. My Department’s intention is to have the project referred to by the Deputy tendered as early as possible thereafter.

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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615. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to increase the number of secondary school places in the school catchment area of Donaghmede, Howth and Dublin 13 to deal with waiting lists for secondary and primary school places across the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17246/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including school planning areas referred to by the Deputy.

Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area

- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area

- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school there are not available to all pupils

- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

Similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, including patrons in the school planning areas in question, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.

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