Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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704.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will request that her officials reassess and increase the grant awarded to a school (details supplied) as building costs have increased and the school requires additional funding in order to complete this long-awaited building project; and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35920/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide 2 Mainstream Classrooms and 2 Resource Rooms. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and they have appointed a design team to progress the project through the various stages of architectural design, planning, procurement and construction.

This project was approved by my Department to go to tender in 2022. This approval was conditional on the works being tendered within 6 months. However, my Department has not received a tender report for this project to date. My Department has already approved a warranted increase in Design Team fees on this project and this has been communicated to the school authority directly. Any further increase can only be considered in the context of an extended scope of works. Officials in my Department have been and will continue to be in regular communication with the school in order to assist the school and its design team to progress this important project.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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705.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35922/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school building projects under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for reconfiguration works to existing accommodation to provide SEN accommodation and 2 SET rooms. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority.

The department is aware that the school has appointed a contractor to carry out these works.

I am pleased to advise that in recent weeks approval to progress this project to Stage 4 (construction stage) has been issued to the school authority. It is now within the remit of the school authority to progress this project accordingly.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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706.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35923/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project brief for the schools referred to by the Deputy was originally to provide 2 ten classroom special schools with General Purpose hall and all associated ancillary accommodation on the same site. The brief for Setanta Special School was subsequently increased to provide an additional 2 classrooms. The project is included in my Department’s Construction Programme and is being delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040.

Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months. However, due to a number of unforeseen site issues, and additional delays in relation to the relocation of ESB wires, which were outside the control of my Department, the campus project was delayed on site. Overall completion for the campus project for the two schools is estimated at Quarter 3 of 2025. Discussions are ongoing in relation to the possible early handover of Setanta Special School in December 2024 for occupation in January 2025. However, this needs careful analysis from a technical, safety and education perspective given that it would relate to a special school operating beside a live construction site on the same campus.

The Design Team and my Department’s Planning and Building Unit are liaising closely on this matter and will continue to keep the school communities updated on progress and timelines. Special Schools are a key priority for my Department, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that any delays are minimised to the greatest extent possible.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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707.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35924/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project for the school referred to by the Deputy when complete will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs on the permanent site for the school. The decision to grant planning permission for the permanent school was received from An Bord Pleanála on 25^thOctober 2023 .

Tender documentation is currently being prepared by my Department's project managers. It is intended that this project will be included in the next bundle of Design & Build projects to proceed to tender. Projects are subject to relevant due diligence by my Department at each stage in the process, within the context of overall programme and budgetary parameters.

My Department will continue to keep the patron body and the school updated as the project progresses.