Niamh Smyth
Question:317. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education to review correspondence (details supplied); if she will provide clarity on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42477/23]
View answerTuesday, 3 October 2023
Questions (317)
Written answers
I understand that the School Authority has been granted capital funding under the Department’s SEN Reconfiguration & Modular Accommodation Programme for the provision of 2 x Special Educational Needs classrooms with 100m2 soft-play area and 2 x Special Education tuition rooms.
This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects.
Rogerson Reddan & Associates has been appointed, from the Department’s Framework, to design and tender the project at the school in question. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and the Department. The first step in the process was submission of a project viability report to the Department following consideration by the project manager and school authority. This report presented the preferred and most technically suitable location for the additional accommodation and highlighted that some of the school’s existing hard-core play area would be displaced. To compensate for this, additional funding was granted for the relocation of this hard-core area. The School Authority accepted the conditions associated with the report and signed a ‘Form of Acceptance’ which is an agreement between the School Authority and the Department to proceed with the works outlined.
In relation to the drainage issue alluded to. I have been advised that from a professional and technical point of view, it will be feasible to install drainage after the modular project is delivered and certified as compliant with building regulations. The proposal outlined in the email does not form part of the current project brief and therefore, cannot be considered by the Department at this time.