Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
321. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education the reason the time frame for the building of new schools with identified sites (details supplied) is taking much longer than the projected finish date; and the provisions that are being made for the students hoping to start in these schools in the new term. [41094/20]
View answerThe permanent projects for the schools referred to by the Deputy are being delivered under my Department's Design & Build Programme. The building projects for both schools are at an advanced stage of the tender process to appoint a building Contractor. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction.
The tender process which is currently underway for 8 major school building projects, including the new schools for Edmund Rice and Pelletstown, will establish a framework of Design & Build Contractors to which other school building projects will be tendered over the next two years. It commenced in December 2019 and will be concluded in Quarter 1 of 2021 with the award of Contracts for the eight schools. Both schools will remain in their current location and my Department officials are in communication with both schools regarding their interim accommodation requirements for 2021/2022.
