Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that her Department is taking to work with the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage and Fingal County Council to resolve the delay in providing a permanent site for a school (details supplied) due to the failure of a planning application on a site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25434/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has no role in relation to the planning process for the school project referred to by the Deputy.

The site for the permanent accommodation for the school was recommended by the local authority as suitable for the development of school facilities and was acquired in conjunction with the local authority under the Fingal Model agreement

An application for planning permission was submitted to the local authority on March 4th 2022 for the development of a new two-storey, 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for children with special education needs. My Department received notification that the planning permission application had been refused by the local authority on the 27th April 2022.

My Department is currently reviewing the reasons given for refusal of the planning application and is in communication with the local authority in preparation for a pre-planning meeting with a view to the submission of a further planning application for the school project on the site as early as possible. My Department also made a submission to the draft Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029 in relation to the re-zoning of the site in question.