Minister Foley announces significant capital investment in North Dublin City

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has today announced significant capital investment in North Dublin City.

As part of the agreement reached between the Department of Education and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, a new Further Education and Training college will be developed at Cathal Brugha Street and permanent accommodation will be found for 2,500 students across four schools.

Minister Foley said: “This Memorandum of Understanding, in partnership with CDETB, represents a strategic response to education provision in North Dublin city by optimising the use of existing properties to support the delivery of permanent accommodation for four schools as part of my Department’s rollout of the NDP.

“These schools will make valuable enhanced and expanded provision to meet the needs of their communities, including pupils with special educational needs. I would like to acknowledge the extensive engagement between the Department of Education, Minister Harris and his officials in the Department of Further and Higher Education and indeed the city of Dublin ETB to ensure that this ambitious project could be delivered.”

The Cathal Brugha Street/Marlborough Street property, formerly owned by TU Dublin, will be leased on a long-term basis by the Department of Education to CDETB.

In an initial phase, the lease of this property by CDETB will facilitate the relocation and consolidation of FET facilities currently in Marino College of Further Education and Killester College of Further Education, commencing from September 2022.

It is also envisaged to include the establishment of a centralised Admissions Office, a career guidance and learner information hub, an Apprenticeship, Traineeship and Employer Engagement Unit and a bespoke literacy and numeracy support unit. 

Speaking about the Memorandum of Understanding, the Chief Executive of CDETB Dr. Christy Duffy said:  “CDETB welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with the Department of Education and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science in this highly innovative project of transformation.

“It offers the opportunity for CDETB to have a flagship City of Dublin FET College presence in the city centre which will enhance the extensive FET provision which already exist across Dublin city. It will also significantly develop the provision of second level schools by CDETB and other providers over the North Dublin City area.”

In reciprocation, CDETB will lease properties at Whitehall and Killester to the Department of Education, also on a long-term basis. 

This will facilitate the Department’s delivery of two new 1,000 pupil post primary school buildings and permanent accommodation for two 8-classroom primary schools as well as generous accommodation provision for pupils with special education needs at all four schools.  The schools in question are:

1.    Clonturk Community College, which will proceed with a new 1,000 pupil school building including four classrooms for pupils with special education needs at its current location on the CDETB Whitehall site;

2.    Margaret Aylward Community College, which will be provided with a new 1,000 pupil school building including four classrooms for pupils with special education needs on the CDETB Whitehall site;

3.    Gaelscoil Áine, which will be provided with a new 8 mainstream classroom school building plus two classrooms for pupils with special education needs on the CDETB Whitehall site; and

4.    Killester Raheny Clontarf ETNS, which will be relocated to the Killester College of Further Education site as its permanent location and building project undertaken to facilitate its growth and expansion to 8 mainstream classrooms plus two classrooms for pupils with special education needs.

The Department of Education is working closely with CDETB with a view to facilitating Gaelscoil Áine and Killester Raheny Clontarf ETNS on an interim basis on their proposed permanent sites in advance of the delivery of their permanent accommodation.