New secondary school for Malahide and Portmarnock

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a new secondary school for the Malahide and Portmarnock areas of County Dublin as announced in November 2015; if he has identified locations for these proposed schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

As the Deputy may be aware, a project to provide permanent accommodation for Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together Secondary School is included on my Department's capital programme.  A site acquisition is required to facilitate this project.
Department officials have been liaising with officials from Fingal County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites with a view to securing a suitable site for this school.  With Council officials' assistance such a suitable site has been identified and my Department is working to progress its acquisition.
In tandem with this, the school building project has been advanced into the architectural planning process.  
Department officials continue to keep the school patron, Educate Together, appraised of progress.