Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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466. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a permanent dedicated school will be built to accommodate a school (details supplied); and if the move of the school to a location is a temporary measure. [25615/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the special school to which he refers has been temporarily located in Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School since its establishment in 2019. Enrolment numbers are continuing to grow in Hansfield ETSS and the school in question will now be vacating this accommodation. 

The special school will be relocating to the site at Riversdale Community College for the forthcoming school year. The Riversdale site is in the ownership of Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDETB), who is also patron of the school referred to by the Deputy.  DDLETB,  with the agreement of the Department, has appointed a Design Team to oversee the works required to the Riversdale building to facilitate the school's occupancy of a section of the building. This project is phase one of a two phase development and the accommodation being provided during phase one includes classrooms, quiet rooms, central activity area, toilet accommodation and other ancillary spaces as well as outdoor play and sensory areas. The planning work associated with phase two will commence shortly and will include an extension to provide additional accommodation to facilitate the school’s future growth.

Relocating the school referred to by the Deputy to the Riversdale site is consistent with the Public Spending Code in the context of maximising value for money which also includes maximising the use of State assets. This is also consistent with the use of shared educational campuses being the preferred model for future development of educational infrastructure where feasible.