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Education and Training Boards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Questions (492, 493, 494, 495, 496, 499)

Gerald Nash

Question:

492. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the LMETB does not have a single head office building as per a Government decision of 2013; if she is concerned that eight years after a decision was made to develop a headquarters building for the LMETB in Drogheda, the project has still not commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24338/21]

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Gerald Nash

Question:

493. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education her views on the fact that the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project has not formally commenced despite the allocation of funds made by her Department in 2014 under devolved projects for the fully designed project in view of the fact that planning permission was granted for the project in 2016 and in further view of the fact that that her Department approved the project to go to tender and tenders were received in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24339/21]

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Gerald Nash

Question:

494. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in February 2017 her Department gave the go ahead to LMETB to issue letters of intent to contractors clearing the way for the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project to commence; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that the devolved section of the building unit of her Department instructed LMETB to retender the entire project in June 2018; her views on the fact the project has seen expenditure of €400,000 of public funding spent on design team fees and related matters to date without any building having commenced on the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24340/21]

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Gerald Nash

Question:

495. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the effective obstacles placed in the way of the commencement of the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project by the ETB in respect of security concerns and subsequently in terms of the size and scale of the planned building since the ETB was instructed in 2017 by her Department to accept the lowest tender for the project; her views on whether this process and the ongoing slow progress of the eight year project with the knowledge her Department raises question marks in terms of the use and effective application of public moneys; her further views on the ongoing delays in delivery which run contrary to the principles of the speedy and efficient delivery of devolved buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24341/21]

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Gerald Nash

Question:

496. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education the reason an instruction to retender the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project given by her Department in June 2018 has not been executed; the clear steps that will be taken by the devolved section of the building unit of her Department to compel compliance with its instruction of June 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24342/21]

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Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

499. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education the progress being made by the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board in relation to the provision of a headquarters for the board in Drogheda, County Louth since 2014 to be located on St. Oliver's Grounds, Rathmullen Road, Drogheda; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24386/21]

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Written answers

The Deputy will be aware that a number of design issues have arisen with this project including the security issues to which he refers. These issues were considered by the Department and addressed through changes in the design of the project. Thereafter, the capacity of the proposed building, and the number of staff it is required to accommodate, has been reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of LMETB into the future. As that review is not fully completed we do not yet have a final agreement on the number of persons to be accommodated in the building (particularly as further consideration will need to be given to the Covid-19 implications for the project). However, it has now been agreed that the existing building design will not meet those needs.

Consequently, LMETB, supported by the Department, has been actively progressing a redesign to include an additional floor to the building. A design meeting to consider this proposal will be scheduled to take place next month in that respect.

I would also wish to clarify for the Deputy, as previously indicated in previous responses, that approximately €260k has been spent on costs related to the project including design team fees, planning and statutory consent fees and surveys for the project. This level of cost is consistent with what would be expected to be spent on a project of this scope and scale at this stage of its development.

While my Department acknowledges that the delivery of this project has taken longer than originally envisaged due to the issues already outlined to the Deputy, I want to assure him that when the remaining issues are resolved my Department will be giving approval for the project to proceed to tender and construction. However, it is of the utmost importance that the final outcome for this project will be the correct one for all relevant stakeholders and will meet the needs of LMETB into the future.

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