My Department is fully aware of the need to provide a solution to the long-term accommodation needs of the school referred to by the Deputy and is actively considering two options.
The first option is the provision of a new school on a greenfield site. The property management section of the Office for Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in site acquisitions generally, has identified a site which could provide for the long-term accommodation requirements of the school. Negotiations on this site are ongoing between the OPW and the vendor.
Officials in the school planning section of my Department are also looking at another option which could offer a better value for money solution for the school's long-term accommodation needs. This option is being investigated by way of an overall review of primary educational infrastructure in the area in question, the likely demand for primary school places in the medium to long term, and how existing provision can be maximised to cater for this demand.
As part of this review my officials are in ongoing discussions with the boards of management of the Larkhill schools on the possibility of an amalgamation. The Deputy will appreciate that an amalgamation is a sensitive issue for those concerned. It would not, therefore, be helpful to develop plans to accommodate an unconnected school in premises owned by those involved in the amalgamation process. This matter can only be advanced when the amalgamation discussions have been completed and a decision has been taken by the boards of management concerned to actually effect an amalgamation.