Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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371. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current status of the proposed new primary school building for Athenry, County Galway; the timeline for the progression of this project through the various planning and construction stages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28886/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "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 for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction.

The project brief for Athenry Amalgamated National School, Tuam Road, Cullairbaun, Athenry, Co. Galway is the development of a new 24 classroom Primary School with 4 classrooms for children with Special Educational Needs.

Following the Stage 1 stakeholders meeting in November 2024, where the Principal, all Design Team members, the Project Manager and Department officials were in attendance, the project was approved to progress to Stage 2(a) of Architectural Planning.

Stage 2(a) – Developed Design - is a crucial element of the architectural planning process as it is at this stage that the design is developed to a stage where it can be fully cost planned and prepared to lodge for statutory approvals.

Until the project design is at a stage where statutory approvals, planning permission, etc. are secured by the Design Team, it will not be possible to provide timings or phases for construction and delivery.

The Project Manager and Design Team will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them informed of progress.