Plans for four new national schools in Dublin and Cork have taken a major step forward with a key contract award.

BAM Ireland has secured the Design & Build (D&B) contract for the projects in a joint venture with Glasgiven Contracts.

Work has already got underway on all four sites located at Ballinteer, Cherrywood and Knocklyon in Co Dublin, as well as at Carrs Hill, Douglas, Co Cork. It is expected that all four schools will be delivered by the end of 2022 and in total can accommodate over 2,000 pupils.

The 4,426m2 Ballinteer Educate Together National School (ETNS) is being built on the grounds of St Tiernan's Community College. This new 16-classroom, two-storey building will feature two classroom unit for children with special educational needs, a green roof and two ball courts. It includes a 1,207 m2 two-storey sports facility for St Tiernan's Community School.

Cherrywood ETNS at Tully Park will cover an area of 4,510 m2 consisting of 24 classrooms across a building in two and three storeys including a two-classroom unit for children with special educational needs.

At Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna in Knocklyon, the existing school will remain in operation for the duration of the works. Once complete, this 2,833m2 three-storey building will comprise 16 classrooms, a library, ball courts and a roof garden.

Finally, the new 4,635m2 Douglas Rochestown ETNS being developed at Carrs Hill in Cork is a 24-classroom multi-storey building including a three-classroom unit for children with special educational needs. A new access road off the Carrigaline Road will be provided, with a set-down area and 47 car parking spaces. The project includes site specific solutions such as rainwater harvesting, surface water attenuation and photovoltaic panels.

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Welcoming the project milestones, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD said: "This announcement will provide a timely boost for the parents and the wider local communities in these areas in Cork and Dublin and will continue to serve and educate young people for years to come. I am particularly interested in the innovative and environmentally sustainable aspects of the construction of these four National schools and I would like to wish the construction team at BAM/Glasgiven and all school communities involved in the build the very best."

These successful contracts bids follow on from BAM's proven track record delivering twelve schools through the Irish Schools PPP Programme – Bundles 3 and 4 in recent years, both on schedule and on budget. These projects consisted of the design, build, finance, and maintenance of all schools, spread across eleven sites providing approximately 8,850 pupil spaces, at a total capital value of €175m.

Commenting on the new award, BAM CEO Theo Cullinane said: "At BAM, our goal is to build a sustainable tomorrow and the provision of state-of-the-art educational facilities is a huge part of that. These buildings will be constructed using the most sustainable materials and techniques available to us.

"We are looking forward to working with the Glasgiven team to deliver these facilities, which when complete will serve their local communities long into the future. The Department of Education are a valued client and we are delighted to be delivering 80 new classrooms in Dublin and Cork for primary school children to be educated in buildings that rival any educational facility in the country. With better classrooms and equipment, including high-spec units for children with special educational needs this will enhance the learning experience for our young people while enabling teachers to provide the best possible education for students."

Glasgiven Company Director Liam Murphy added: "We are proud that our continued excellent work in the education construction sector has been rewarded with this contract. We are looking forward to providing high-quality schools to educate the next generation of students. These schools will hopefully play a transformative role in the areas which they are situated and have a long-lasting impact on the lives of the surrounding communities."