Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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162. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a new school for an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6241/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The following projects are currently progressing in the Newtownmountkennedy area.

Newtownmountkennedy Primary School

The major building project for Newtownmountkennedy Primary School is an amalgamation of St. Joseph’s and St. Brigid’s primary schools.

The project brief provides for the construction of a new 12 classroom building with a 2 classroom base Special Educational Needs (SEN) facility for pupils with additional needs and ancillary facilities to replace the existing St. Joseph’s Senior Primary School. The 6 classroom Junior school St. Brigid’s school is to be retained.

This project is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured.

A prequalification process to select a shortlist of contractors is currently in progress and the Design Team will submit a Prequalification report when available

The Stage 2(b) report is currently under review by the Department and on completion of this review and the completion of the prequalification process the Department will be in contact with the school and Design Team on the progression of this project.

Newtownmountkennedy ETNS

The site for Newtownmountkennedy ETNS was acquired by my Department in 2022

The Department has commenced the tender process for the appointment of the Project Manager for the delivery programme which includes the school in question [Newtownmountkennedy ETNS]. An Expressions of Interest notice was published on the E-tenders Portal on 14 November. The appointment of the project manager is a two-stage restricted process and it is expected that the successful project manager will be appointed in Q2 2023.

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.

The current enrolment, in September 2022, was 65 pupils. The building project providing permanent accommodation for the school will deliver an 8 classroom school with accommodation for children with additional needs.

In relation to post primary provision in the area, the establishment of Greystones Community College as a new regional school for the Greystones/Kilcoole area along with the completion of the building projects at St. David’s Secondary School, Greystones and Coláiste Craobh Abhann, Kilcoole will deliver capacity for a total of 2,750 post primary students in the area.