Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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246. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the interim building will be in place for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46802/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s Design Team are in the process of addressing the prior to commencement conditions and will be communicating with the Local Authority in relation to these. Currently it is not possible to provide a timeline as to when the interim building will be in place.

Agreement in principle for the acquisition of the site referred to by the Deputy was reached with the Executive of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in June 2021, subject to the approval of the Elected Members of the Council.

The approval by the Elected Members to dispose of these lands to the Minister for Education was granted at a Council Meeting on 11th April 2022.

This acquisition is subject to the successful granted of planning permission for the permanent school facility.

With regard to the permanent school building project, my Department will shortly be commencing the tender process for the appointment of the Project Manager for the delivery programme which includes this school referred to by the Deputy. Once the Project Manager is appointed they will commence the tender process for the appointment of the Design Team that will take the project forward through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction. It is not possible at this time, ahead of the appointment of the design team and subsequent pre-planning consultations with the local authority to indicate when the planning application for the project will be submitted. However, the school will be kept fully informed as these steps are progressed.

My Department will continue to address the interim accommodation requirements for the school and will continue to keep the patron body and school community updated as these projects progress.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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247. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the new building for three autism classes in a school (details supplied); when they will be able to go out to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46853/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was approved under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to enable the school in question to build a 2 Classroom SEN Base and an Early Intervention Unit.

The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process. I can confirm that the Department has received a Stage 2b Report which is currently being reviewed by Department officials; once this review is complete, the Department will revert to the school with the outcome with a view to moving to tender stage as soon as possible.