My Department's Capital Programme (2016-2021) continues to address the challenges posed by the significant bulge in pupil enrolments going through our schools. This has seen a significant expansion in the rate of provision of new school places. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed through the architectural planning process, including those schools in County Kildare. The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.
The major building project at the primary school in Clane, Co Kildare is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured.
The Stage 2b submission has been reviewed by my Department and authorisation for the Pre- Qualification of Contractors issued on 15 May 2018. Pre-qualification normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete. When pre-qualification is complete, the project will then be progressed to tender stage.
A letter issued in March 2018, to the school and its Design Team advising them of a timeframe for the progression of this project through to tender and construction. I also wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has set out on its website at www.education.ie - Building Works, the current status of building projects and this is updated regularly.
I wish to advise the Deputy of my announcement in April regarding the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by the Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
