Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2024
251. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education whether there is a single project manager appointed in her Department for each school building or renovation; who oversees all aspects of same and accounts to the Minister at regular intervals by order; if not, if she will create such appointments or roles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7441/24]
View answerTypically, each school building project requires the appointment of a design team which consists of multidisciplinary team members including Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and Architects and other members as required. Design teams are led by a Design Team Leader, whose responsibility typically lies with the Architect appointed on the project. The role of the Design Team Leader is similar to a project manager, they are responsible to coordinate the design team with the progression of the school project from inception to completion. Also throughout the project the design team leader is required to engage directly with the client and end users on a continuous basis from start to finish including acting as an employer’s and client`s representative during the construction phase. Typically the Architect is also the key member liaising with my Department’s Planning and Building Unit.
Some of the larger and more complex school building projects and programmes have project management supports approved by the Department to assist design teams with progression and delivery of projects. The Department’s Design and Build Programme which typically involves large new school buildings being procured and delivered as part of a bundle of projects are an example of a programme that has project management supports. Delivery partners used by the Department’s Planning and Building Unit such as NDFA, ETBs etc. also use project management supports to assist with project delivery.
Irrespective of the delivery mechanisms used, there is a requirement for regular updates to the Department’s Planning and Building Unit on the progression of school building projects through the various stages of architectural planning. The summary status of all projects is set out on the www.gov.ie website and updated on a regular basis.
