Cormac Devlin
Question:80. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education the progress to date in securing a permanent site for a school (details supplied). [24885/21]
View answerThursday, 13 May 2021
Questions (80)
Written answers
I appreciate that this project is a priority for the Deputy, as it is for my Department.
My Department is very conscious of the difficulties the school authorities and the families have to contend with and, in this regard, my officials will continue to treat this acquisition as urgent.
The site acquisition process is very complex and subject to completion of successful negotiation and many conveyancing processes. Furthermore, securing school sites in South Dublin has proven extremely difficult in recent years, however, I can confirm that officials in my Department have been in discussions with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) County Council officials in relation to two potential permanent school site options for two primary schools in Local Authority area, one of which is the school referred to by the Deputy. These discussions have been working towards a determination as to the optimum configuration of school sites in the area.
I can now confirm that my Department is at an advanced stage of negotiations with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council regarding the acquisition of a site in their ownership. This site is well located to serve the Booterstown BlackrockSchool Planning Area and is intended to be the permanent location for GaelscoilLaighean. Any acquisition will be subject to contract and the statutory approval of the Council to dispose of the site to my Department.
The School Patron has been informed of this development and will be advised of the location of the site when it is possible to do so.