Update on New Secondary Schools for Malahide/Portmarnock & Swords

 QUESTION NO:  262

DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton)
by Deputy Darragh O'Brien
for WRITTEN ANSWER on 31/01/2017  

 
 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.
In April 2016 applications were invited for the patronage of nine new post-primary schools to be established, six in 2017 and a further three in 2018. The new secondary school for Malahide and Portmarnock opening in 2017 was included in this process. 

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the patronage process has been completed and as I announced on 3rd November 2016 the Patron of this new post-primary is Educate Together. The assessment report and the recommendations of the New Schools Establishment Group are available on my Department's website. 
The building project for the new post-primary school to serve the Malahide and Portmarnock school planning areas is included in my Departments current Six Year Construction Programme, announced last November.  A suitable site to accommodate this school has been identified and its acquisition is currently being pursued.  However, due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time.
The school will open as scheduled in September 2017 in suitable interim accommodation pending delivery of the school's permanent building.



QUESTION NO:  263

DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton)
by Deputy Darragh O'Brien
for WRITTEN ANSWER on 31/01/2017  

 
 To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a new secondary school for the Swords area 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.


In April 2016 applications were invited for the patronage of nine new post-primary schools to be established, six in 2017 and a further three in 2018. The new post-primary school for the Swords area of Dublin opening in 2017 was included in this process. 

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the patronage process has been completed and as I announced on 3rd November 2016 the Patron of this new post-primary school is Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board. The assessment report and the recommendations of the New Schools Establishment Group are available on my Department's website. 

 

As the Deputy may be aware, the building project for this new post-primary school to serve the Swords school planning area is included on my Departments Six Year Construction Programme 2016-2021.  My Department has worked closely with Fingal County Council in respect of this and conveyancing is currently underway in respect of a site for the permanent school accommodation.  Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details regarding the permanent location at this time.  I can, however, assure the Deputy that the site acquisition process for this school is being advanced by my Department as a priority.

The school will open as scheduled in September 2017 in suitable interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent school building.