A building project to provide a new 16 classroom school plus a 2 classroom Special Educational Needs Unit for the Gaelscoil in question is included in my Department’s school building programme. The new building will be provided on a site adjacent to its existing site in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. This site is being acquired by my Department from South Dublin County Council.
The Educate Together National School referred to by the Deputy is to be located on a Department owned site at Coolamber Drive, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. Access to this site will require the construction of a new road which is currently being planned by South Dublin County Council.
As the permanent site is not currently accessible and as my Department now has access to the land adjacent to the Gaelscoil, it was determined that the interim accommodation for the ETNS could be provided temporarily on that site.
My Department wrote to the Board of Management of the Gaelscoil earlier this year with regard to the proposed construction of a permanent school building for their school and outlined my Department’s plans in this regard.
The school was informed of my Department’s intention to commence the architectural planning process for the construction of its new school building. My Department also outlined that in tandem with this it would also initiate the architectural planning process for the construction of the new Educate Together NS. The letter outlined that the building projects for both schools would be advanced in parallel.
The letter further outlined the need for my Department to provide interim accommodation to facilitate the new start-up school accommodation for the ETNS and that this interim accommodation was intended to be temporarily placed on the additional site area being acquired for the Gaelscoil.
It outlined the process which was to take place including lodging a planning application for the interim accommodation for the ETNS and also advised that my Department plans to move this temporary accommodation for the new school to its Coolamber Drive site as soon as site access is secured and in order to facilitate the construction of the permanent building for the Gaelscoil.
My Department had also intended to arrange a meeting with the Gaelscoil to explain these matters in more detail but then the Covid 19 situation occurred and it was prevented from arranging this meeting to date. Now that the restrictions are being relaxed, my officials will be in contact shortly with the Gaelscoil to arrange that meeting.
The permanent school building projects for both schools were recently assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning and construction. Architectural Planning has now commenced with site surveys under way.
