John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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61. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide details on plans to upgrade accommodation facilities at the Bray Institute of Further Education; to provide an outline for longer-term plans to redevelop the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26508/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Kildare Wicklow ETBs proposal for Bray Institute of Further Education was successful at the first stage of the assessment process under the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund and is now at the next stage of the process – The development of a Preliminary Business Case. The development of a robust business case is fundamental to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines.

The proposal put forward by KWETB for the Bray site is one of twelve projects that are currently being progressed under this fund. Their proposal centres on the consolidation and integration of provision at the Bray Institute of Further Education campus.

SOLAS and officials from my department met with all twelve ETBs including KWETB, in recent weeks to discuss their proposals in the context of relevant regional and national FET policy objectives. KWETB is now working on refining its' business case proposal to ensure it will deliver on its' priority infrastructure requirements that will meet the needs of their learners and staff.

Once business cases are updated and submitted, they will be evaluated by SOLAS and my department. Those proposals that meet the required evaluation criteria will move to the next stage of development, which is the Pre-Tender – Project Design, Planning and Procurement Strategy stage.

My Department, through SOLAS, is also engaging with KWETB in respect of two applications for improvement works to the Bray Institute of Further Education, submitted under the Emergency Health and Safety Works programme. These applications are for works to address leaks to the roof of the main building and the replacement of a number of prefabricated units.