Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2020
125. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the planned location for a permanent school premises (details supplied); the capacity it is planned to increase the school to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12794/20]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the school referenced by the Deputy was established in 2014 under the patronage divesting process.
The patronage divesting process intended that, in the relevant areas, schools could be opened where a school building became, or was due to become available as a result of an amalgamation/closure of an existing school.
A vacant former school building in the town is in the Minister’s ownership, having being transferred under the Redress process. The Department considers that there is scope for expanding the size of the school property on site and has been considering possibilities in this regard. The Department will contact the school patron when the Department’s considerations in this regard have been completed, at which point there should be clarity on the school’s size long-term.
In order to facilitate the opening of the school, its initial establishment, as with most new schools, has been in interim accommodation, pending the planned permanent school building being available for use.
