The Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan T.D., today announced that BAM PPP has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the provision of four new schools that form the fourth bundle of schools to be delivered under her Department’s PPP programme.

Under the PPP model, the schools will be designed, built, financed and maintained for twenty-five years by BAM PPP.

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“I am delighted to announce that, subject to the satisfactory outcome of the planning process, and the conclusion of the remaining stages in the procurement process, it is intended that construction will commence in first quarter of 2015 and the new schools will be available from second quarter of 2016. I am conscious of the importance of this project to each of the communities in which the schools are located. Taken together this project is providing nearly 3,000 new, state-of-the-art school places”, said Minister O’Sullivan.

The Minister paid tribute to all those involved in bringing the project to this stage in particular the management and principals of each of the schools, for their commitment and support of the PPP process. She also acknowledged the continuing work of her Department’s staff and the staff of the National Development Finance Agency who are responsible for the procurement and delivery of the schools.

This fourth project in the PPP programme will consist of fourschools on four sites in counties Clare, Cork, Louth and Tipperary. The schools included in the fourth bundle are:

Post-Primary

·        St Joseph’s Secondary School (Tulla, Co. Clare) will be a new co-educational post primary school and is intended to be a replacement for the existing school.  The School is intended to provide approximately 650 pupil spaces;

·        Skibbereen Community School (Skibbereen, Co. Cork) will be a new co-educational post primary school arising from the amalgamation of Mercy Heights Secondary School, St Fachtna’s – De La Salle College and Rossa College. The School is intended to provide approximately 900 pupil places;

·        St Mary’s College (Dundalk, Co. Louth) will be a new co-educational post primary school and is intended to be a replacement for the existing school.  The School is intended to provide approximately 900 pupil spaces; and

·        Comeragh College (Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary) will be a new co-educational post primary school and is intended to be a replacement for the existing school.  The School is intended to provide approximately 500 pupil spaces.

Under the PPP process, BAM PPP will provide a range of facilities management services that will include building maintenance, cleaning, security, grounds maintenance and specialist equipment support. The principle of ‘everything works’ applies under the PPP process – classrooms, laboratories, specialist equipment, heating, lighting all have to be available every day. The Minister said that staff and students in all four schools can look forward to schools using the most up-to-date designs and facilities that will be maintained by BAM PPP to the highest standards.

”These four schools are being delivered using the PPP process” Minister O’Sullivan said and added that “The education sector has been involved in PPPs from the very outset. It is one of a number of innovative ways utilised by my Department in delivering quality facilities.”

The Minister said: “Today’s announcement confirms my Department’s position as a leader in the delivery of quality infrastructural projects under the Government’s PPP Programme and I am currently progressing further educational projects using this model.”

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