asked the Minister for Education if he will take immediate action to ensure that work can commence in the near future on the building of a school for the Dalkey school project.
Written Answers. - Dalkey (Dublin) School Project.
561.
Sketch-plans have been approved and a grant has been sanctioned for the proposed Dalkey school project national school. However, a problem has arisen in regard to the implications of a condition of the planning permission. Full planning permission and by-law approval would be a prerequisite to the invitation of tenders. The Department were informed by the chairman on 1 July 1981 that full planning permission had been granted subject to the following conditions:
On substantial completion of the development, the area shown as public open space on Drawing No. 61 (Scale 1:500) shall be cleared of surplus soil, rocks, debris and shall be levelled, seeded and planted with approved shrubs and/or trees and such area shall then be dedicated formally for the use of the public.
This condition raised several questions such as: (1) to what extent would extra cost arise from this condition? (2) whose responsibility would it be to comply with this condition and to provide for the maintenance of the public open space? (3) in whom and by what process would this space be vested and could such space legitimately form part of the school site to be vested in trustees under an official lease to which the Minister for Education would be a party? The Commissioners of Public Works were asked for advice on 18 September 1981 and their formal reply is expected very shortly.
I wish that the minimum delays should occur in proceeding with the school and I am asking that the project be expedited.