AQW 41806/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education

To ask the Minister of Education to detail a timeline of all engagements the Education Authority have had with Rosetta Primary School, in relation to the need for urgent repairs to their school hall, within the last two years.

Asked by Kate Nicholl MLA on 4 March 2026

Answered
Written
After due date
Priority

Tabled: 4 March 2026
Answer due by: 9 March 2026
Answered: 23 March 202619 days after tabling
Department: Department of Education
Priority question: Yes

Answer

The Education Authority (EA) has provided the following timeline in relation to the need for urgent repairs to the assembly hall at Rosetta Primary School:

Month	Detail
February 2024	Senior maintenance staff met with the school principal to address urgent repairs needed for the Gym Hall roof. Following this discussion, Maintenance Service decided to close the hall due to health and safety concerns.
March 2024 – May 2024	A structural engineer was commissioned to conduct a comprehensive survey of the roof’s integrity, which included specialised damp investigations. Based on the engineer’s recommendations, safeguarding measures were implemented to support the roof structure and contingency plans were established with the school authority to allow temporary use of the nearby church hall.
June 2024 – September 2024	A specialist engineer was assigned to develop a detailed specification for the roof upgrade. Given the complexity of the design and the need for local authority approvals, the project was transitioned to EA Minor Capital Delivery for execution under their minor works programme.
January 2025	An external architect-led design team was appointed
May 2025	Initial structural report completed, which identified other adjacent areas of poor condition. A more extensive condition report was initiated , as the scope of proposed works was extended.
January 2026	Extensive condition survey carried out.
March 2026	The EA received the formal condition report from the design team on 4 March and this will now be incorporated into a feasibility report, to inform the business case. It is anticipated that the feasibility report will be completed this month. A draft programme for delivery for the Roof Upgrade Works including an additional Toilet Provision, has been prepared by the appointed architects, but the actual delivery programme will be dependent upon the extent of works being undertaken and will be confirmed within the approved business case. The EA’s Chief Operating Officer and the Assistant Director of Infrastructure and Capital Development met the school and they reaffirmed the commitment to replace/repair the schools assembly hall. It was also agreed that the EA’s Maintenance Service will visit the school in the coming weeks to review the condition of the school and identify any maintenance priorities.

Official sources