I propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 392 together.
In 2006, my Department met with the Trustees of the school to which the Deputy refers to, to discuss the school’s long-term accommodation needs. Given the city centre location of the school, there was considerable difficulty in sourcing a suitable site as a long term location. In 2011, a suitable site was sourced for the permanent location of the school. In the interim the school is currently located in rented accommodation in Parnell Square; the school receives annual funding of some €328,000 for rental of this temporary accommodation.
The original design brief for this project on this site, was for an 8 Classroom primary school and a Design Team were appointed by open competition in December 2012 to design this project. However due to increasing demographic demands in the Drumcondra, Marino and Dublin 1 area, a recommendation was made to the Patron advising that a 16 classroom school be built on the site. In November 2016 the Patron of the School, the Archbishop of Dublin approved this recommendation for a 16 classroom school.
My Department then engaged in discussions with the original design team regarding increased fees to progress the new 16 classroom design brief. However my Department is constrained by EU Directives covering public procurements in the extent of a fee uplift that it can consider and the fee proposals from the original Design Team were in excess of those constraints. This original Design Team has been paid for its completed work up to Stage 2A Detailed Design, amounting to €103,048.72.
The current brief for the project at the school to which the Deputy refers to, comprises the provision of a new 16 Classroom Primary School with a general purpose room, multi-purpose room, library and resource area, three special education tuition rooms and ancillary accommodation. Until the detailed design is completed by the new Design Team and subsequently reviewed by my Department it is not possible to assess the impacts on specific build items such as recreational space etc.
Requests for tenders for a new Design Team to take this project from Stage 2A Detailed Design right through to construction, were published on the e-tenders website on 20 October 2017 and the closing date for prospective tenders is 29 November 2017.
This project is included on the 6 Year Programme announced on 17th November 2015.