John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the new post-primary schools for Ballycullen and Citywest, Dublin; if a school (details supplied) will be vacating the site of another school before September 2022 for its new location at Ballycullen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21402/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The permanent school building projects for the schools referred to by the Deputy are being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the projects through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.  

The first post-primary school referred to by the Deputy is currently located in suitable interim accommodation at the Firhouse Community College site, pending delivery of interim accommodation on the school’s permanent site.

Work has commenced on site to deliver the interim accommodation on the permanent site and the school will re-locate to this accommodation for the 2022/2023 school year.

The permanent accommodation plans continue to be progressed while taking account of the interim accommodation. A pre-planning meeting with the local authority has taken place and developed design work is ongoing. Until such time as planning permission is secured for the permanent accommodation it is not possible to provide a timeline for its delivery. My Department will continue to keep the patron body and the school informed of developments.

The second post-primary school referred to by the Deputy opened in interim accommodation in the Citywest Campus in 2020, with additional interim accommodation provided to cater for the 2021/22 school year.

The final grant of planning permission for the project was received in March 2021.  My Department’s Project Manager together with their Design Team are engaged in the preparation of tender documentation for the project. My Department is considering the timeline for the progression to tender of a number of Design & Build projects, including the permanent accommodation for this school and will advise the school's patron body further as soon as possible.

Pending delivery of the permanent building project, my Department will continue to address the interim accommodation needs of the school in conjunction with the school’s patron body.