The school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme for a project to provide 2 mainstream classrooms and 1 special education tuition room. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.
A school building project has four points within the design and delivery process where approval from the Department to move to the succeeding stage is mandatory.
These stages are:
1. At stage 2(a) - developed design stage - before applying for planning permission;
2. Immediately where a Notice of Intention to Grant Planning Permission/Fire Cert/Disability Access Cert issues from the Local Authority with onerous conditions as these may be the subject of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála;
3. Before seeking tenders for the project;
4. Before accepting a tender/placing a contract and commencing construction.
The school recently submitted a request to proceed to Stage 4 (Construction stage) without obtaining the necessary permissions to advance to Tender Stage as outlined above. Department officials have recently contacted the school authorities regarding this matter and are awaiting a reply.
Following a response on the matter and a review from the Department the school will be advised of how to advance this significant project. In light of this issue it is currently not possible to give a time frame as to when this school building project will go to construction.
