Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country. Around 800 school building projects have been completed and 300 other projects are under construction.

School building projects under construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion.

This is a record level of investment and highlights the department’s very strong track record in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities.

The permanent building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a shared educational campus project which will deliver two 1,000 pupil post-primary schools and accommodation, including 6 classrooms, for children with special educational needs and an 8 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for children with special educational needs.

The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of multi-disciplinary design team consultants.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the schools and their patron bodies informed of the progression of this campus project and will continue to liaise in relation to interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent accommodation for the schools.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The large scale capital project at the school is for the provision of a new 600 pupil school and ancillary accommodation. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award.

The original grant of planning expired in December 2022, but due to changes to the Planning Acts in September 2021, it was no longer possible to apply for an extension to the planning permission for the main building project and a new application was required. The new planning permission application was lodged, and subsequently granted in December 2023, with a number of conditions attached.

The Design Team are carrying out a pre-tender reconciliation taking into account the implications of these conditions along with reviewing technical design information in relation to statutory and current technical design guidance.

My Department officials will be in contact with the School authority when the Design Team complete their review.