Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021
90. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will vacate its temporary site not later than after one year's duration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35117/21]
View answerThe permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design & Build programme.
The new school building project is in architectural planning stage. A pre-planning meeting with the local authority has taken place and developed design work is ongoing. Representatives of the school and Patron body will be invited to a meeting to share the plans ahead of lodging the planning application. Until such time as planning permission has been secured, it will not be possible to provide a timeline for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages.
Regarding the school's interim accommodation arrangements, a planning application for interim accommodation for the school on its permanent site was lodged on the 26th May 2021 and instructions have issued to the Project Manager overseeing the delivery of the interim accommodation to proceed with the procurement arrangements under my Department’s new Modular Buildings Framework.
There was a delay involved in obtaining a necessary legal consent from an adjacent landowner in order to lodge the planning application and as a result, my Department is putting in place contingency arrangements for the school to be located in suitable interim accommodation at the Firhouse Community College site from August 2021 for a maximum of one academic year.
The interim accommodation, which includes specialist classrooms, SEN provision and ancillary accommodation, will be installed on the Community College site for the beginning of the 2021/22 school year using the planning exemption secured in March 2021. Details of the accommodation were recently issued to the patrons of the schools concerned.
It is the Department’s intention that the school will move into the interim accommodation on its permanent site as early as possible in the 2021/22 academic year and that the vacated interim accommodation on the Community College site will remain on site and will be available for use by Firhouse Community College as provided for under the exemption.
My Department has communicated the plans to both school patrons and will continue to keep the patron bodies and the schools informed.
