Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the plans and drawings for the new temporary accommodation planned for a secondary school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30153/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design & Build programme.

A planning application for interim accommodation for the school on its permanent site was lodged on the 26^thMay 2021. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at the offices of South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Town Centre, Tallaght, Dublin 24 during its public opening hours of Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm., and may also be viewed on the Council’s website – www.sdcc.ie.

Owing to a delay involved in obtaining a necessary legal consent from an adjacent landowner in order to lodge the planning application, my Department is also putting in place contingency arrangements for the school to be located in suitable interim accommodation at the local Community College site from August 2021 for a maximum of one academic year.

The interim accommodation, which includes specialist classrooms, SEN provision and ancillary accommodation, will be installed on the Community College site for the beginning of the 2021/22 school year using the planning exemption secured in March 2021. The brief for this has recently been issued to the patrons of the schools concerned.

It is the Department’s intention that the school will move into the interim accommodation on its permanent site as early as possible in the 2021/22 academic year and that the vacated interim accommodation on the Community College site will remain on site and will be available for use by the Community College thereafter.

My Department has communicated the plans to both school patrons and will continue to keep the patron bodies and the schools informed.