Defective Building Materials

Thursday, 16 June 2022

Questions (390)

Emer Higgins

Question:

390. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the progress that has been made in relation to pyrite remediation at schools (details supplied). [31652/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

I refer to the two schools referred to by the Deputy.

My Department has committed to a project to provide additional permanent accommodation at St. Patrick’s NS, Diswellstown, to bring it to 32 mainstream classrooms and provide 4 classrooms for pupils with special education needs. A Brief Formulation Report and Schedule of Accommodation is currently being drawn up by my Department, which will then be issued to the School Authorities.

The building project for the extension to the school will be delivered under my Departments ADAPT3 Programme, which uses the services of a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe to progress this project through the stages of Architectural Planning.

ADAPT is an acronym for Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering.

The tender competition for the appointment of the ADAPT3 Project Manager has just concluded.

The first step to be undertaken by the Project Manager will be the tender competitions for the appointment of Design Teams for a number of school building projects.

This will include the appointment of the Design Team to progress the extension project for St Patricks National School.

The Design Team will also be tasked with developing and progressing a remediation programme to deal with the pyrite issues in the existing school over the summer periods of the coming school years.

My Department will soon be in contact with the School Authorities in relation to the Schedule of Accommodation to be provided and the appointment of the Design Team.

Officials in my Department are still considering the best approach to the management of the pyrite issue at Castleknock ETNS and will be in direct contact with School officials in relation to this matter shortly.