Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis na hionadaithe ón Roinn Oideachais as ucht an cur i láthair a rinne siad. How many people are employed in the school building unit?

Is there a need for more recruitment?

I will refer to a particular situation that is occurring all too often. While there are some positive developments, which I acknowledge, school principals have been in contact with me over a lack of engagement, a lack of follow-through on projects and the unacceptable delays that are occurring. As I said, I have exhausted all avenues with regard to one school, which I want to briefly reference. I have emailed a number of times and I emailed three weeks ago about this particular school but I am still awaiting a response and have only received an acknowledgement. The school community are very frustrated and I have no choice but to mention it here today. It is St. Brendan's Community School in Birr, where it appears the entire project has come to a halt and there has been little or no engagement with the school principal since the last school year. I appeal to the Department to contact the school. The delays are unacceptable and they are impacting on students, who should be at the centre of everything we do. There is an ASD unit involved in that instance. It is just not fair. There is obviously a demand for an ASD unit. Parents want to enrol their children there and the school wants to take the pupils, but it is at a standstill. I ask for clarity and for more direct engagement with the school principal on the issue. I ask for an answer to the email that I sent three weeks ago.

It is very frustrating. I was a school principal myself and I had a good relationship with the Department of Education on many issues, which were resolved as they were minor issues, thankfully. It is very frustrating for a principal in a school community. They are trying to get things going but their hands are tied and things seem to come to a halt, for some reason. I will end on that note.