I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 to 251, inclusive, together.
The process to replace the consultant architect and design team leader for the major school building project referred to by the Deputy is currently ongoing.
The Invitation to Tender for the replacement architect issued on 11th May 2018. The closing date for receipt of applications is 28 May 2018. It is anticipated that the replacement architect will be appointed in July 2018.
On appointment the replacement architect, as Design Team Leader, will need to carry out a thorough review, audit and update of the submitted Stage 2(b) documentation in order to satisfy themselves that the major building project is correctly designed, detailed and accurately costed.
Following this review the replacement architect will issue a report to the Board of Management for onward transmission to the Department. Upon review of this report My Department will be in contact with the school with a timeline in relation to the further progression of this project.
The “in-house” Department Architect who was working on this project had outsourced the preparation of the architectural documentation for the Stage 2(b) submission to an external consultant and he would have taken the project forward to tender and construction stages had he not resigned. As he has not yet been replaced the need to tender for an external consultant has arisen.