Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The 28 other projects that were included in the stimulus programme last year were either ready to go to construction or close to it. Planning for a substantial development such as this one is a tortuous process and requires significant input from a school's community and the Department's architectural and engineering experts. It is safe to say that the project in question is far along that process. Indeed, it is nearing the end. I assure the community that the process is ongoing and will continue until the project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning and is considered for inclusion in any other stimulus programme that may arise.

If very poor conditions obtain in some of the prefabs, it is open to the boards of management to make an application for replacement temporary accommodation. Following a policy in the programme for Government, we have replaced almost 45% of prefabs across the country. We agree with the Deputy wholeheartedly that we do not need our children to be educated in what were supposedly temporary replacements but became permanent solutions for many schools.

The Minister confirmed to me today, following communication from the Deputy, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald, and other Government colleagues in the area, that he is available to meet the board of management and perhaps representatives of the wider school community with a view towards reassuring them of the significant progress that has been made to date on this project under this Government and outlining to them where we go next in delivering it ultimately.

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