Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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646. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a design team has been appointed to a new school project (details supplied); the up-to-date position on advancing the new school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30114/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post primary school with accommodation and 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs and a new 8 classroom primary school with accommodation and 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs at Ballincollig, which will be delivered as part of a shared educational campus.

The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

This ADAPT 4 Programme – Programme Innovate will be led by Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.

AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of the IPT’s. The procurement process for the IPT for the tranche of projects, including this project at Ballincollig, is currently being concluded.

Upon appointment, the IPT will begin the initial stage of architectural planning – Stage 1, where a site and current building assessment is carried out, and initial design sketch schemes are created.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the schools and patron body informed of the progression of this project.