Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are meeting with officials from the school building unit in the Department of Education. I welcome Mr. Hubert Loftus, assistant secretary, head of planning and building unit; Ms Martina Mannion, assistant secretary, head of inclusion division; Ms Áine Cusack, principal officer, schools capital appraisal section; Mr. John Dolan, technical manager with lead responsibility for climate strategy for decarbonisation of school buildings; Mr. Brendan Doody, principal officer, special education section; and Mr. Martin McLoughlin, principal officer, special education section.

The officials are here to brief the committee on the current and future plans for the school building unit and, specifically building and provision of special classrooms at existing school buildings, provision of space to accommodate visiting therapists, forward planning to account adequately for future need to include both the census demographics and county development and local area planning, quality of engagement with school community and school management in the planning of new schools and extensions, and planning for adequate provision for both patronage and language in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelscholáistí.

As for the format of the meeting, I will invite Mr. Loftus to make a brief opening statement. This will be followed by questions from members of the committee. Each member has an allocated slot, which will depend on the number of people at the meeting. As everyone is probably aware, the committee will publish the opening statement on its website following today’s meeting.

Before I begin, I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed by the chair to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative to comply with such direction.

I now call Mr. Loftus to make his opening statement.