In 1998 the school authorities in question sought approval for a PE hall for the school. My Department agreed to the provision of a hall of 608m² and a further 200m² of ancillary accommodation. That is 808m² in total.
In January of last year the authorities of the school requested my Department to assess its overall accommodation needs and to include the PE and ancillary needs in that assessment. As the school was now effectively requesting a potentially more significant capital investment, my Department sought to establish the long-term viability and enrolment projections for the school. Last summer it was agreed with the school authorities that a long-term projected enrolment of 500 was a reasonable basis on which to base the detailed assessment of the school's future accommodation requirements.
Last August, my Department provided the school with a draft schedule of overall accommodation, seeking its agreement. This draft was based on an educational worksheet prepared by the school showing its curricular options. The school authorities responded in October with some queries. My Department has addressed these and a revised schedule was recently issued to the school. As soon as the school authorities agree the schedule the question of designing accommodation for the future needs of the school can be addressed.