Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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436. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an urgent update on the extension project at a school (details supplied); the cause of delays in her Department’s review and approval of the fire safety certificate and disability access certificate; when the final approval will be granted to allow construction to begin, given that the tender process is complete, a builder has been appointed, and the project is ready to commence pending Department sign-off; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34215/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme for a project to provide 2 mainstream classrooms and 1 special education tuition room. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.

A school building project has four points within the design and delivery process where approval from the Department to move to the succeeding stage is mandatory.

These stages are:

1. At stage 2(a) - developed design stage - before applying for planning permission;

2. Immediately where a Notice of Intention to Grant Planning Permission/Fire Cert/Disability Access Cert issues from the Local Authority with onerous conditions as these may be the subject of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála;

3. Before seeking tenders for the project;

4. Before accepting a tender/placing a contract and commencing construction.

The school recently submitted a request to proceed to Stage 4 (Construction stage) without obtaining the necessary permissions to advance to Tender Stage as outlined above. Department officials have recently contacted the school authorities regarding this matter and are awaiting a reply.

Following a response on the matter and a review from the Department the school will be advised of how to advance this significant project. In light of this issue it is currently not possible to give a time frame as to when this school building project will go to construction.