Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2013
242. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an agreement exists between his Department and a religious order to provide land in County Cork for an extension to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14152/13]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that a property partly occupied by the school to which he refers was offered to my Department in 2009 as part of an offer of properties by the Religious Order who owned it, in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. The Government's response to this offer indicated that while the property was not of immediate interest, the Order was asked not to dispose of the property without first giving the Minister the option of taking possession.
Since then there have been further discussions between officials of my Department and representatives of the Religious Order in question and I can advise the Deputy that agreement has recently been reached in principle to transfer the property to the Department. However, as discussions are ongoing, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
Once the property has been transferred, its use to meet the accommodation needs of the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally.
