Urgency needs to be applied for new school building at Scoil Chrónáin

DEPUTY Moynihan questioned Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton on the current status of the construction of a new school building at Scoil Chrónáin which has faced tender delays.

Plans for Scoil Chrónáin include a new 16-classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms for children with special educational needs on the permanent site in Rathcoole, County Dublin.

In March, these plans moved to tender stage but following “due diligence being carried out and discussions with the preferred tender, the company withdrew its tender.”

Minister Naughton outlined the work that is being undertaken by the Department’s design team following these delays, saying: “The Department’s design team is now carrying out due diligence in relation to the next placed tender with the view to submitting a tender assessment report for my Department’s consideration.”

Deputy Moynihan pressed for urgency on the matter, saying: “I would very much welcome any urgency we can apply to make sure we break ground by quarter 4 of this year because that is contingent on the planning permission not having to be extended and for the delivery of the school building for Scoil Chrónáin that is so important.”

The Minister ensured that the design team that is taking on the project will strive to achieve the “best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction.”

Deputy Moynihan also referred to the proposed projects at St. Thomas Junior National School and Scoil Áine Naofa in Lucan, Divine Mercy junior and senior national schools in Balgaddy and St Kevin’s Community College in Clondalkin and asked for the current status of the Lucan Community College project and Scoil Chrónáin.

Minister Naughton listed several schools in the region that are currently at earlier stages of the pipeline, with many of the priority projects advancing in progression, with particular emphasis on schools providing special education and schools needing emergency construction.

Currently, eight projects are currently onsite across Dublin Mid- West, the Minister’s constituency; Coláiste Pobail Fola, Gaelscoil na Camóige, Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcáin and Holy Family Community School.

At the start of July, Gaelscoil Lír was substantially completed and handed over to the school, with a further four projects at tender stage, including a new school building for Scoil Chronáin and deep energy retrofit works at Coláiste Bríde, Deansrath Community College and Collinstown Park Community College.

In addition, 20 large-scale and additional accommodation projects are progressing through the design pipeline, with ten at preliminary design, which is stage 1 and one at developed design, which is stage 2a.

Nine are at detailed design, which is stage 2b, with one of these stage 2b projects – the new school building for Adamstown Castle Educate Together National School – included in the priority tranche of projects published in January as part of national development plan rollout.

There are also a further 12 projects being progressed under the modular programme and the climate action summer works scheme.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme