John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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778.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32541/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project to which the Deputy refers is devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).

My Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief in the context of a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for a project to cater for a 1,000 pupil school plus 6 special education needs classes. This welcomed change to the project brief meant that time was required to amend the detailed drawings before the planning submission.

A planning application was submitted to Wicklow County Council in Q4 2023, and I am pleased to inform you that a full grant of planning was received for the school last month. KWETB along with the Design Team will now progress the Stage 2b report for review by the Department. Following Departmental approval, the project will proceed to tender and construction in due course.

At this stage, it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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779.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32542/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design, where the Design Team secure all statutory applications and prepare the tender documents.

The Board of Management and their Design Team lodged the application for planning permission in September 2023, and received a request for further information (RFI) in October 2023 from the Local Authority (LA).

The Design Team issued their response to that RFI in February 2024, and the LA issued the initial grant of planning permission in March 2024.

However, there has been a third party objection to planning permission, and the decision has now been referred to An Bord Pleanála.

The BOM and DT await An Bord Pleanála’s decision.

Until the statutory approvals have been secured, it is difficult to advise a timeframe for this project to progress to tender and construction stages.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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780.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the proposed extension for a school (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32543/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. This school is in the bundle referred to as ‘Project Boyne.’

This project will provide a large extension to increase capacity for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils and includes a 4 class SEN base.

In June 2024, my Department announced the progression of the ‘Project Boyne’ bundle of school building projects. The authorisation was issued to complete the remaining work on the preparation of tender documents required for public procurement of building contractors for the end of the year.

The NDFA will be engaging directly with the individual schools, regarding progressing these important projects.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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781.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an extension for a school (details supplied); the estimated timeframe for this project from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32544/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.

All Statutory Approvals have been secured, and the Stage 2(b) Submission has been received in my Department for review. Following the review, comments have issued from my Department to the Design Team for their consideration and action.

The Design Team must confirm to my Department in writing that they have addressed the comments and are fully satisfied that their tender documents are in order, and meet all Department Guidance Documents, Building Regulation and procurement requirements.

Upon receipt of those confirmations, the next stage, subject to relevant Stage 2(b) approvals, will be Stage 3, tender stage. Projects are subject to relevant due diligence by the Department at each stage in the process, within the context of overall programme and budgetary parameters.

Department officials will continue to keep the school authorities updated on progress and next steps.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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782.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is currently at; the estimated timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32545/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The major project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Departments ADAPT Programme.

ADAPT is an acronym for "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering".

The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning.

The brief for Woodstock Educate Together National School is the development of a new 8 Classroom Primary School and a 2 Class SEN for pupils with special educational needs and all associated site works.

The procurement competition for the appointment of a design team has concluded, and the Project Manager informed the school that a design team has been formally appointed for the major project.

A full design team consists of an Architect, Quantity Surveyor, Civil & Structural Engineer, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer, PSDP and Fire Consultant.

An initial briefing meeting between all Stakeholders (School Authorities, Design Team, Department officials and the Programme Manager) was held recently.

Following on from that meeting, the Design Team have now commenced Stage 1 – Preliminary Design, including an assessment of the site, location suitability and initial sketch scheme.

It is not possible to provide a date for the completion of the project at this early stage of the process. The Programme Manager and Design Team will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep them informed of progress.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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783.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider developing a new secondary school in a location (details supplied) considering the growth in population and pressures on school places in the local area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32546/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.

The 2023 demographic exercise indicates that 79% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2027 compared with 2022. At post-primary level some 78% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2030, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.

Newtownmountkennedy is located in the Kilcoole school planning area. The Department’s 2023 demographic projections exercise forecasts that there will be a slight increase in demand for post primary school places in the Kilcoole SPA with the projected peak year in 2028.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

• Provision of a new school or schools.

If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth.

The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on the Department's website at, www.gov.ie, and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.

The Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in the Kilcoole School Planning Area, as with other areas across the country, under review. Additionally, my Department will continue to liaise with Wicklow County Council in respect of its review of the County Development Plan with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across the county.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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784.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is at; when the project will move forward to design and construction stage; the estimated timeframe for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32547/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the deputy will be aware, my department is progressing the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for the school to which he refers. In that context, the project brief for a new 1,000 pupil school building for the school in question is currently being finalised by my department and it is our intention to progress the project into architectural planning as soon as possible.

Contracts has been signed for the acquisition of lands at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow. The acquisition is subject to the successful grant of planning permission for the school as well as Phase 1 of the proposed residential development.

It is not possible at this point to give an indication of the timeframe for the commencement of construction, particularly in the context of inter-dependencies between the school delivery and adjacent housing infrastructure provision. However, I can assure the deputy that my department will continue to work to progress this project and will continue to liaise with the school patron in this regard.