Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department is obliged to provide a suitable cost effective accommodation solution for the delivery of any proposed new school. In this regard, it must at all times seek to maximise the use of existing accommodation ahead of a greenfield site solution. In compliance with this requirement, a technical assessment of the existing buildings in question was recently carried out to ascertain which, if any, would be suitable to act as host for the new school concerned.

In the context of this assessment, the likely floor area requirements for a school of the size in question has been established and architectural assessment of the potential of the existing schools to meet these requirements is under way and is expected to be completed shortly. Following examination of the technical assessment report, the school planning section of my Department should be in a position to decide on how the accommodation needs of the new school can be met. When this decision has been taken, inclusion of the project in a capital programme by way of the appointment of a design team can be considered at an early date.