Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Department of Education and Skills

Schools Building Projects

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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480. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will engage with a school (details supplied) regarding the need to progress phase 2 of the building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46354/24]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide 2 classroom Special Education Needs base, 12 Special Education Tuition rooms and reconfiguration of an existing staff room to provide a Home School Class Liaison room and new replacement staff room. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery.

My department received a Stage 1 report in Q4 2023. Following an initial analysis, Department officials requested additional information in April 2024 from the school to address certain omissions from this report. Information was provided in September 2024 and reviewed from a technical perspective. My Department recommended this project to progress to Stage 2A (Developed Design) to include some minor comments and observations by my Department officials.

My Department was informed on 10 December 2024 that the school had made a decision to close a part of the school due to health and safety concerns. A technical visit was arranged to the school on 12 December 2024 to assess and advise on the immediate health and safety issues. It was recommended that the existing temporary accommodation be removed from site and my department would meet these costs. The design team is currently preparing the documentation to tender for these works to be submitted to my Department when completed. In the meantime, pest control services were engaged at the school and the situation is no under control.

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