Written Answers Nos. 483-502
483. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the status of the acquisition of a site for a school in areas (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36420/20]
View answerI can confirm that the Department is currently finalising a site identification & deliverability exercise in order to technically appraise suitable sites within the relevant school planning areas, for the post primary school to which you refer. This exercise has been progressed during the past months, in line with restrictions in place due to the covid-19 pandemic, nevertheless, my officials have progressed the exercise to the point where final site selection is imminent. Preliminary discussion has also commenced with landowners with a view to establishing availability and market expectations on selected lands, before a preferred choice can be fully assessed. Further announcements will be made when it becomes possible to do so.
Due to obvious commercial sensitivities, I cannot elaborate any further at this juncture but please rest assured that the project is being given due consideration and attention.
484. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the status of new build for a school (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36421/20]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The project is currently at Stage 1 of architectural planning which entails preliminary site surveys, location suitability and initial sketch scheme.
A review in 2019 of the demand for post-primary provision in the area resulted in an increase in the schedule of accommodation to cater for up to 1,300 pupils.
The Stage 1 report has recently been received by my Department. A meeting was convened last week between officials from my Department, the Board of Management and its Design Team to discuss the report and further information is to be provided by the Design Team. Once received and reviewed, my Department will be in contact with the school and its Design Team with regard to the further progression of the project.
485. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education when the remote area grant for the 2019-20 school year will be paid to a pupil (details supplied); the reason for the delay with same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36435/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements
Bus Éireann has confirmed that an application for transport for the 2019/20 school year in respect of the pupil referred to by the Deputy was made on 23rd July 2019 and was therefore a late application. As the application was late, the Remote Area Grant can not be paid to the family in question for the 2019/20 school year.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that the pupil in question was sucessful in obtaining a seat on a new service in the 2020/21 school year to the school in question.
486. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if the framework to maintain physical distancing in the classroom in post-primary schools with a full return of all students for the 2020-21 school year under the roadmap for the full return to school (details supplied) will be updated during the 2020-21 academic year; if additional resources will be allocated to schools that are excluding students from the classroom on a reoccurring basis in order to comply with the framework; if a review has been conducted of the students who are being hindered in their academic development as a result of not being in the classroom during lessons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36438/20]
View answerPublication of the Roadmap for the Full Return to School by the Government, included details of a significant financial package to support the implementation of the measures in the roadmap. The package of supports is expected to cost in excess of €437 million in the 2020/2021 school year and this includes funding for a range of supports being made available to schools includes additional financial supports to provide for additional staffing, management supports, enhanced cleaning, hand hygiene and personal protective equipment costs, including €55 million in minor works grants for primary and post-primary schools to be paid in early December, 2020. This includes an additional €25m funding for Covid-19 related Minor Works at post-primary level and bringing forward from 2021 the standard €30m minor works grant at primary level.
My Department has published guidance for Post Primary schools on maintaining physical distance in the classroom, with illustrative classroom layouts. This guidance also includes an option for live streaming of a class to another room or area in the school. Where a small number of students cannot be accommodated in the main classroom they could watch live from a satellite room or area in the school under the supervision of a teacher. These students should be rotated on an equitable basis to the satellite room.
While recognising that each school is different in terms of location, physical layout and available space, school themselves are best placed to decide on appropriate changes necessary to maintain physical distancing.
My Department recognises that notwithstanding the range of measures put in place, some schools have experienced challenges and my Department has continued to engaged with and support schools where they have demonstrated particular difficulties in accordance with circular 46/2020.
487. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 790 to 792, inclusive, of 3 November 2020, if she will direct that a compulsory purchase order be used on subject lands (details supplied) to host the current school that is operating without a permanent location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36469/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the project to which he refers was included in my Department's announcement of 42 new schools in 2018.
Officials in my Department are working closely with officials in Fingal County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the acquisition of a suitable permanent location to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. The school will remain in temporary accommodation while the process of acquiring a permanent school site is being undertaken.
A site identification exercise for the permanent location for the school is ongoing. This includes ongoing negotiations in relation to a preferred site. Due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations process it is not possible to comment further at this time.
While my Department does not have the power to undertake a compulsory purchase order where this is considered appropriate the local authority can be requested to undertake a CPO on my behalf.
488. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 790 to 792, inclusive, of 3 November 2020, the length of time students in Swords, County Dublin, will be taught in temporary prefab-style accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36470/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the project to which he refers was included in my Department's announcement of 42 new schools in 2018.
Officials in my Department are working closely with officials in Fingal County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the acquisition of a suitable permanent location to
meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. The school will remain in temporary accommodation while the process of acquiring a permanent school site is being undertaken.
A site identification exercise for the permanent location for the school is ongoing. This includes ongoing negotiations in relation to a preferred site. Due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations process it is not possible to comment further at this time.
While my Department does not have the power to undertake a compulsory purchase order where this is considered appropriate the local authority can be requested to undertake a CPO on my behalf.
489. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education if there are instances around Ireland in which land has been zoned for schools for which the need exists but building has not yet begun; the number and locations of such sites in tabular form; when building of the schools will commence; the reason for the delays in building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36471/20]
View answerThe context within which zoning of sites for schools takes place is the 20-year “National Planning Framework 2040”. Within this framework the statutory land planning process operates on a number of levels: national, regional , county/city and local. There are some 200 statutory plans between regional, county and local area plans. These plans are produced on an ongoing basis following a transparent public process. The Department of Education engages with the statutory plan preparation process to ensure that sufficient suitable sites are reserved to meet potential future school requirements in all areas. All of the plans are publicly available on the websites of the various planning authorities.
In regard to establishment of new schools, the Department continuously monitors projected demand for school places in all areas across the country, using data from a range of sources. As part of the planning process, the Department consults with local authorities concerning residential developments being progressed or in the pipeline. This is to ensure that schools infrastructure planning aligns with the demographic changes arising from new residential development. Since 2018 a total of 47 new schools have been announced to open in the period 2019-2022.
In the case of each new school, the Department analyses the best option for the provision of the school, in terms of whether an existing property already in State ownership could be used or whether the new school necessitates the acquisition of a new greenfield site. If a new site is identified as the best option, suitably zoned sites in the area are considered and the designation of a site for school use is typically very helpful. However, in instances where the site has been zoned to meet the potential need of a future community it may be the case that the required infrastructure and services are not yet in place and the development of that site to meet a current school need may be premature. Nevertheless, all identified site options are fully considered with a view to ensuring the provision of suitable accommodation for the school in question.
When the school is required to open before the site is acquired, my Department co-ordinates arrangements for suitable interim accommodation to enable the school to open while the site acquisition and the planning process concludes.
490. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the number of schools conducting classes in temporary prefab accommodation; the length of time that such prefabs have been in use; the locations of these temporary buildings in each year since 2016 to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36472/20]
View answerOf the 3,963 schools (3,240 primary and 723 post-primary) in the State, 405 schools (280 primary and 125 post-primary) are currently using or partially using rented accommodation. The date of individual rentals ranges from 2000 to 2020 and a breakdown of the school by County is below.
|
Breakdown of schools by county |
|||
|
Primary |
Post-Primary |
Total |
|
|
Carlow |
5 |
4 |
9 |
|
Cavan |
10 |
1 |
11 |
|
Clare |
9 |
3 |
12 |
|
Cork |
40 |
14 |
54 |
|
Donegal |
8 |
5 |
13 |
|
Dublin |
62 |
18 |
80 |
|
Galway |
17 |
6 |
23 |
|
Kerry |
9 |
3 |
12 |
|
Kildare |
10 |
11 |
21 |
|
Kilkenny |
7 |
4 |
11 |
|
Laois |
7 |
1 |
8 |
|
Leitrim |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Limerick |
8 |
4 |
12 |
|
Longford |
6 |
2 |
8 |
|
Louth |
10 |
6 |
16 |
|
Mayo |
6 |
6 |
12 |
|
Meath |
11 |
6 |
17 |
|
Monaghan |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|
Offaly |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|
Roscommon |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
Sligo |
5 |
6 |
11 |
|
Tipperary |
18 |
3 |
21 |
|
Waterford |
5 |
5 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
2 |
5 |
7 |
|
Wexford |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
8 |
7 |
15 |
|
280 |
125 |
405 |
|
I wish to advise the Deputy that, within the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. In this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of rented temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools.
Furthermore, it may also be necessary to make use of temporary rented accommodation when an immediate or short term need arises. For example, a school may require a temporary building in circumstances where a major school construction project is planned. Such temporary accommodation is removed when the major project concerned is completed. The length of time it is necessary to make use of temporary rented accommodation will vary from project to project.
My Department is taking an integrated approach with the Prefab Replacement Programme through the replacement of prefabricated units as part of large-scale and devolved projects, or as part of new projects approved under the Additional School Accommodation scheme.
491. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school places available in the Greystones municipal district area, County Wicklow, by school in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36477/20]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that details of school enrolments for 2019 are available on my Department's website www.education.ie. Enrolment information for the 2020 school year is not yet available.
Regarding school enrolment, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act 1998. In schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary.
The selection process used by schools and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, it may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in their school of first choice.
In accordance with the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have drafted new policies to be published on the school’s website.
The act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria for application in the event of oversubscription, in their admission policies. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves.
Further information on the new admission process is available on the Department’s website at www.education.ie/en/Parents/Information/School-Enrolment.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (GIS). The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Department's own school enrolment databases, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise.
The process has been strengthened this year through three specific initiatives:
1. Enhanced engagement with local authorities in relation to the information on residential development incorporated in the analysis process;
2. Additional engagement with patron bodies in relation to their local knowledge on school place requirements, Education and Training Boards, Diocesan offices and national patron bodies such as Educate Together, An Foras Pátrúnachta etc. can also be an important source of local knowledge. This will add to information also provided to the Department by local authorities or individual schools.
3. Utilising the information gleaned from schools under the national inventory of school capacity completed by individual schools last year as part of POD, P-POD returns process.
Where data indicates that additional provision is required at primary or post primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
As the Deputy will be aware, since April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 45 new schools over the 4 year period 2019 to 2022. This included a new primary school, Greystones Community National School, which was established in 2015.
Similar to the process adopted for September 2020 readiness, the Department will be engaging further with patron bodies shortly in advance of identifying specific September 2021 capacity pressure points priorities which will necessitate specific action.
In a ‘normal’ year, addressing the increase demands for school places, whilst challenging, is manageable – generally through utilisation of existing spare capacity within schools, rental, temporary accommodation or other short term measures pending the delivery of permanent accommodation.
My Department is concerned to ensure that all pupils in the Greystones school planning area have access to a primary school place in September 2021.
492. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the number of secondary school places available in the Greystones municipal district area, County Wicklow, by school, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36478/20]
View answer493. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a lack of secondary school places in the Greystones municipal district area, County Wicklow, for September 2021; her plans to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36479/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 492 and 493 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold information in the format requested.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
As the Deputy will be aware, since April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 45 new schools over the 4 year period 2019 to 2022. This included a new school for the Kilcoole and Greystones area as a regional solution and the school, Greystones Community College, opened in Greystones for the 2020/2021 school year.
The following post-primary schools currently serve the Greystones School Planning Area:
- TempleCarrig Secondary School Greystones – this is a co-educational school with capacity for 750 pupils and was established in 2014.
- St. David’s Secondary School Greystones is a co-educational school and a major building project to expand the school to cater for 750 pupils commenced on site in October 2020. This project is expected to be completed in 22 months i.e. by July 2023.
- Greystones Community College – this new school was established in September 2020. The proposal is to provide permanent accommodation for 1,000 pupils when the school is fully developed. Discussions are ongoing with the landowner of a designated site at Charlesland, Greystones with a view to acquiring the site to construct the new school.
Greystones Community College opened its doors to 64 first year pupils in September 2020 in interim accommodation in Greystones Lawn Tennis Club. My Department is looking at all potential options in the area in the short and medium term ahead of the school’s move to its designated permanent site in Charlesland, Greystones. This will include the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation, including specialist rooms, as quickly as possible as the current school year progresses. My officials will continue to work closely with Kildare Wicklow ETB and the school to ensure that the needs of the school community are met.
In addition, there is the existing school in the adjacent Kilcoole School Planning Area, Coláiste Craobh Abhann, which currently has accommodation for 750 pupils and for which there is a major project approved to expand the school to 1,000 pupils. This project is in early architectural planning and is being delivered by the National Development Finance Agency. Additional temporary accommodation was approved in 2019 to cater for expanding enrolments pending completion of this extension. It is open to the school's patron to submit an application for additional interim accommodation to my Department should this be required.
My Department is satisfied that with the establishment of Greystones Community College as a new regional school for the Greystones/Kilcoole area and with the completion of the building projects at St. David’s Secondary School, Greystones and Coláiste Craobh Abhann, Kilcoole that the resulting additional permanent accommodation will be sufficient to cater for future demand in the area.
Similar to the process adopted for September 2020 readiness, my Department will be engaging further with patron bodies shortly in advance of identifying specific September 2021 capacity pressure points priorities which will necessitate specific action.
In a ‘normal’ year, addressing the increase demands for school places, whilst challenging, is manageable – generally through utilisation of existing spare capacity within schools, rental of temporary accommodation or other short term measures pending the delivery of permanent accommodation. My Department is engaging with the authorities of the post primary schools in the area to determine the level of demand in the Greystones area for 2021 with a view to determining the action necessary to ensure that all students in the Greystones area have a place at second level in 2021.
494. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education if the school transport for a school (details supplied) has been further increased to allow for the safe transportation of physically very vulnerable school children during level 5 or other levels as children are in overcrowded buses and are at increased risk of Covid-19 infection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36480/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year on all school transport scheme services - both Bus Éireann services and private contractor operator services.
Based on the public health advice published in early July, and the updated advice received from the HPSC on 7th August and from NPHET on the 18th August, the Department has been planning for School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year to fully operate, but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place and with the rolling implementation of measures on post-primary services as required to provide physical distancing, using 50 per cent of passenger capacity. The implementation of 50% capacity has been put in place where possible over the last number of weeks and over the coming weeks, Bus Éireann will be implementing 50% capacity on a rolling basis as soon as it is possible to do so on all remaining routes. Government has agreed to provide the necessary funding to ensure that full implementation of the public health recommendation is achieved as quickly as possible on all post-primary services, including Special Educational Needs post-primary transport services.
Bus Éireann and the Department of Education have put in place measures to support infection prevention and control on primary and post-primary services. The Department has also issued detailed information and guidance to parents and children on the operation of school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. Measures include all post-primary students wearing masks, all bus drivers and bus escorts receiving PPE where necessary, as well as funding to support additional cleaning and hygiene measures, including the provision of sanitiser on all buses. Seating plans with pre-assigned seating are also in place on all routes, with children sitting next to their siblings or classmates where possible which reduces interaction on school transport services.
495. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if a student forfeits their right to sit a written leaving certificate 2020 exam in cases in which they are unwell and cannot attend the exam. [36502/20]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to him.
496. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if the standard bereavement allowances will be in place for the 2020 leaving certificate; if so, when are the exams scheduled to go ahead; and if the papers have been prepared. [36503/20]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to him.
497. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the appeals process for the November 2020 exams; and the timeline for appeals. [36504/20]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to him.
498. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if the usual bell curve will be applied to November 2020 exam students; if not, if it will be waived in view of the fact it is not a typical cohort of students; and if it would not be expected that their results would be normally distributed. [36505/20]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to him.
499. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if it will be possible to return the 2020 leaving certificate exam results earlier than February 2021 in view of the fact that approximately 2,800 students plan to sit this exam, many of whom will only sit one exam. [36506/20]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
501. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if she will request the Louth Meath Education and Training Board to provide immediate comprehensive support to an organisation (details supplied) by making a suitable building temporarily available in order that the board can open a Gaelcholáiste in County Louth in time for children to register for September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36526/20]
View answer535. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education if correspondence from a person (details supplied) in relation to a school will be examined; the status of the project; the contact her Department has had with Louth Meath Education and Training Board regarding the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36851/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 535 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has had significant engagement with an Irish-medium school patron in relation to its proposal for a Gaelcholáiste under its patronage to also have a campus in County Louth. The proposal does not involve the establishment of a new school but rather an additional campus of an existing school, albeit located some distance apart. The engagement included assessing options in Dundalk for the 2020/21 school year and beyond, given the role of school patrons in the provision of additional school accommodation.
Locating the proposed campus in part of the Coláiste Chú Chulainn premises/school, which Louth and Meath Education and Training Board had being willing to facilitate, has not proven to be acceptable to some parties previously involved with the Aonad at Coláiste Chú Chulainn and my Department has agreed to consider an alternative mechanism.
The school patron making the proposal had identified a potential property from which it proposed the campus would operate. My Department arranged a technical inspection of the property and subsequently had further engagement with the school patron. It has recently come to light that the property proposed by the school patron may not be available to lease for the purpose of accommodating the proposed campus. My Department has requested the school patron to establish the exact position on this. Should it not be available, other options which may be identified can be considered.
In relation to the ETB property referenced by the Deputy, my Department understands that this property is fully utilised for further education purposes and accordingly is not available for the purpose requested.
In order for the proposal from the Irish-medium patron and associated costs to be fully assessed, it is necessary to have certainty on the location of the proposed campus and costs arising. While this is worked through, those students who have chosen to enrol in the Gaelcholáiste under the patronage of the Irish-medium school patron located some distance away, continue to be served by school transport. My Department also understands that Coláiste Chú Chulainn continues to accept applications for enrolment in its Aonad.
502. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the stage of the tender preparation of a project (details supplied). [36530/20]
View answerThe building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which tenders to pre-established frameworks of D&B contractors.
My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects can be tendered. Once this framework is established, it is intended that this project will be tendered as soon as possible thereafter.
In the interim, my Department and it's Project Management team are liaising with a third party developer to establish a joint programme for the construction of the required road network to service the site. This is a condition of the planning permission and both my Department and the third party developer will be liaising with Cork County Council over the coming months with regard to satisfying those planning conditions. It is envisaged that the construction of the required roads and the construction of the schools will be progressed in tandem.
The school authorities will be kept informed as the project progresses.
