Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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504. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will take the appropriate steps to make the necessary funding available to facilitate works commencing on a school building (details supplied) without further delay in view that full planning permission has now been granted by Laois County Council for the construction of the new school. [9992/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the application for all statutory consents, including Planning Permission, Disability Access Certification and Fire Safety Certification and also the preparation of tender documentation.

The Planning Permission Application was submitted to the Local Authority on June 1st 2021 and the Design Team have advised that the decision to grant planning has been received in recent days. The Disability Access Certificate has been granted. The Fire Safety Certificate application was lodged with the Fire Officer in August 2021 and an extensive additional information request was received in September 2021. The Design Teams response to the Fire Officer was submitted, and their response is pending.

Now that the final grant of statutory applications has been received from the local authority the Design Team will review the conditions and report to the Department shortly.

We await the Fire Safety Certificate and completion of the Stage 2b report.

It is not possible to give a definitive timeline with regard to the completion of Stage 2(b) and the further progression of the project to tender and construction stage

This major building project is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan.