Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a planning application for a permanent building for a school (details supplied) will be submitted; if her Department has revised the timescale for completion of this project as a result of increased construction costs; the total current estimated costs for the provision of permanent school buildings for the school; if the new school building will be delivered in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11907/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project for school mentioned by the Deputy is in early architectural planning which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of statutory applications.

It is anticipated that the planning application for the permanent school referred to by the Deputy will be lodged in Q2 2023.

My Department must then await a decision on planning from the local authority. A notification to grant planning can be received after 8 weeks, although there is an opening for the Local Authority to request further information (RFI). There is always also the possibility of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála (ABP).

As with any school building project progressing to tender, this can only occur once planning has been secured. Tender processes are currently taking approximately 8 to 10 months. Once a Contractor is appointed, the construction of a 1,000 pupil post primary school takes some 82 weeks. Details of the current estimated cost for construction of the school would be commercially sensitive prior to a tender exercise and award of a contract.