Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 January 2018
174. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason no provision has been made to provide children with a classroom for special education teaching at a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that as of September 2018 no space will be available in the current block. [4948/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the school concerned is located in a former primary school building that was secured as part of Government policy on school divesting.
The property is subject to a ten-year lease between the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) and the Minister for Education and Skills.
As the Deputy is aware, the school has submitted an application to my Department for additional accommodation to facilitate expansion.
However, the lease requires the consent of ERST to place this accommodation on the school site. In this regard, my Department is currently engaging with ERST to secure this consent and expects a response from ERST shortly.
Department officials have also been liaising with the school principal recently and have advised him that the accommodation will be approved as soon as this consent is granted.
