Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2024
681. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education her views on whether the new building for a school (details supplied) needs to be prioritised given it will be the solution for all parties; the actions her Department is taking to ensure this is prioritised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32001/24]
View answerThe large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 4 - Construction.
Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months. However, due to a number of unforeseen site issues, and additional delays in relation to the relocation of ESB wires, which were outside the control of my Department, the campus project was delayed on site. In a recent update from the Design Team, overall completion for the campus project for the two special schools is now estimated at Quarter 3 of 2025.
Whilst the school referred to by the Deputy will be largely complete in late 2024/early 2025, it is important to bear in mind that it is a campus project to provide 2 schools on the same site. The Design Team are assessing the scope for phasing the handover of the campus so that the school referred to by the Deputy could be occupied at an earlier stage. However, this needs careful analysis from a technical, safety and education perspective given that it would relate to a special school operating beside a live construction site on the same campus.
The Design Team and my Department’s Planning and Building Unit are liaising closely on this matter and will continue to keep the school communities updated on progress and timelines.
Riverview Educate Together, while sanctioned as an eight classroom school, has grown its enrolments to nine mainstream classes. My Department approved the provision of modular accommodation on the school site to meet this additional need as well as to support the establishment of a special class at the school. The modular accommodation in question has since been installed and will be available for Riverview ETNS for the start of the new school year 2024/25.
