Written Answers. - Schools Building Projects.
Paul McGrath
Ceist:
306
Mr. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
his views on a recent newspaper article that an English company was to build a number of second level schools for his Department; if his Department has entered into discussions or negotiations with any company on this matter; if he will name the company involved; if he will detail the facilities to be provided in these schools; if he will outline the definition of a state of the art school as referred to in this newspaper article; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10595/01]
I am particularly pleased that my Department is the first to appoint a preferred bidder for projects under the Government's pilot public private partnership programme.
My Department identified five new post-primary schools as suitable for inclusion in the pilot PPP programme. These schools are located in Ballincollig, County Cork, Clones, County Monaghan, Dunmanway, County Cork, Shannon, County Clare and Tubbercurry, County Sligo. The trustees and management of the schools were approached and agreed to their inclusion in the process.
The role of the schools and my Department in the PPP process is to specify educational outputs and, consequently, my Department did not appoint design teams or contractors, or prepare specifications for the construction or services elements of the contracts. The output-based nature of the PPP process encourages innovation in school design, construction and servicing.
Following an EU-wide tender process, Jarvis plc has been selected as the preferred bidder for the five new post-primary schools and contract negotiations with my Department have commenced. In terms of the article to which the Deputy refers, all of the schools were designed by Irish design teams and will be constructed by Irish contractors.
Jarvis will provide the five schools with all the curriculum-related range of education facilities, furnishings, equipment and IT, together with ongoing services such as building, equipment and services maintenance, cleaning, security and ground maintenance. The maintenance and facilities management contract will run for 25 years and this impacts on the quality of the buildings to be provided.
The management of the schools and their day to day running will remain with the school management authorities and the State will retain legal ownership of all properties. Subject to the planning process, it is intended that construction will commence in early summer and the five new schools will be available from September 2002.
The Deputy may wish to note that material relating to these PPP projects was sent to the Oireachtas Library by my Department.
