Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2016
271. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide funding for a school (details supplied) to upgrade from its current building; if his attention has been drawn to the inadequate space available for students in the school and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30878/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers opened in September 2012 in temporary accommodation, pending delivery of the school's permanent school building.
In December 2012, outline planning permission to provide a permanent school building for the school was submitted to the relevant local authority but was refused on the grounds of site access. This was appealed by my Department to An Bord Pleanála but subsequently withdrawn to facilitate submission to the local authority of an amended outline planning permission in 2013, which was also refused on similar grounds.
This decision was appealed by my Department to An Bord Pleanála but refused. However, the Board considered that the matter of assessing alternative means of accessing these lands would benefit from a co-ordinated approach by my Department and the planning authority in the interests of achieving a comprehensive and balanced solution to ongoing access issues on this educational campus.
My Department and the local authority have met to discuss appropriate access routes with a view to a further planning application being submitted as soon as possible. My Department is also actively in discussion with relevant landowners to advance this process to a satisfactory conclusion.
