232. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No's 6899/26 and 50256/26 to confirm that Cavan/Monaghan ETB's FET College Major Capital Project will be developed at one location on land currently occupied by a college (details supplied); to further confirm this project will advance at pace; and if he will outline the timeframe for the appointment of a design team. [67317/26]

CMETB’s proposal for a new college to be delivered on the Cathedral Road site in Cavan is progressing under the FET College Major Capital Programme (FCMCP) and is currently at the Pre-tender - Project Design, Planning, and Procurement Stage. At the beginning of the year, officials from my department met with all 12 Chief Executives who have projects under this programme. At that meeting, ETBs were advised that they need to prioritise these projects so that appointment of design teams can take place as soon as possible for those ETBs that are ready to do so.

In order to provide for consistency of approach and to ensure timely delivery of projects under this programme, an integrated design team framework was advertised to suppliers in April this year. This framework has been evaluated and is now in place for all ETBs who are ready to draw down services.

Workshops, led by my Department Officials, SOLAS and the GDA are taking place with those ETBs that are ready to work on their Design Team Brief. These workshops will allow for ETBs to draw down services from the Framework by ensuring that all parties understand the requirements of the Pre-tender - Project Design, Planning, and Procurement Strategy Stage and that robust documentation is produced and agreed as appropriate for the draw down of Design Team Services.

CMETB had their first workshop earlier this month and are presently working on their Design Team Brief in advance of their next scheduled workshop, which will take place in early October.

At present, I am not in a position to give a definitive timeframe for when a Design Team will be appointed for this project, as responsibility for this process progressing rests with the ETB. However, you can be rest assured that my Department Officials, SOLAS and the GDA are supporting CMETB to get to the point of being ready to tender from the framework for the appointment of a Design Team and this work is being prioritised to ensure that a Design Team will be appointed in a timely manner.