WORK ON RATHCORMAC SCHOOL TO PROCEED TO TENDER
Local Fianna Fail county councillor, Kevin O’Keeffe has confirmed that an appeal by the Department of Education to An Bord Pleanala against the imposition of a development contribution of €111,199 by Cork County Council in the granting of planning permission for the new school in Rathcormac will not impede the tender and construction stage.
“I received correspondence from the Minister for Education & Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, who stated that the design team is currently working on the completion of tender documents and it is intended that the project will proceed to tender and construction stage in tandem with the appeal being progressed, and that the appeal will not delay the project in any way,” Cllr O’Keeffe told The Avondhu.
The Mitchelstown councillor went on to say that the minister is confident that the departments appeal will be successful, as in a number of cases where local authorities have imposed development contributions on school building projects.
In all these cases, An Bord Pleanala has held that the school building projects were developments carried out on behalf of voluntary bodies, designed and intended to be used for educational purposes and not for profit or gain.
Under the terms of Cork County Council’s own Development Contribution Scheme, the development of a new school for the community of Rathcormac should have been exempt from any requirement to pay either a general of special contribution under the scheme.
“I welcome the minister’s response, and the fact that the Department of Education is fast-tracking this, so that there is no unnecessary delay in the people of Rathcormac getting their new school,” Cllr O’Keeffe concluded.
Published:
Thursday 12th May 6:32pm
