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School Accommodation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

Questions (378)

Gerald Nash

Question:

378. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if she will expedite plans to build the proposed permanent building for a school (details supplied); if she will instruct her officials to submit a full planning application to Meath County Council for the permanent school building on the site before the end of the 2020-2021 school term; the reason the school will not be built and opened in time for September 2022; the reason her Department is of the view that it will take until 2024 to complete the permanent school building project; the anticipated cost involved in the hiring of temporary accommodation on the site and other associated works until such time as the permanent school building becomes operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22910/21]

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Written answers

As the Deputy may be aware, agreement in principle has been reached to acquire a site for the permanent location of the school in question. This agreement is subject to contract, conveyancing and satisfactory grant of full planning permission. In this regard, the Department is working in conjunction with the current landowner and the Local Authority to ensure that the infrastructure required to develop the land is put in place to facilitate the development of the school as quickly as possible. This engagement is going very well in the spirit of the land sale agreement and for the benefit of the school development. The location of the permanent site (circa 11 acres in size) will incorporate the current temporary site at Mill Road, Drogheda at which the school is currently located.

The school building project has moved to the delivery stage and will be delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme. The project will proceed into early architectural planning which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of statutory applications. A pre-planning meeting with be arranged with the local authority in advance of preparing a Planning Application. Once statutory approvals have been secured, the project will proceed to tender and construction stages.

This project will be delivered as expeditiously as possible while ensuring that all statutory processes are followed and required standards are met.

My Department is fully aware of the additional accommodation needs of the school for the next academic year and work is currently ongoing to ensure delivery of same for the 2021 academic year. The question of costs for the additional interim accommodation will be quite significant and it is not possible to provide an exact figure at this point in time as work in ongoing in this regard to finalise same.

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