David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister of State for being here. I noticed there were announcements this morning of new schools, new builds, extensions and so on and that the schools to which I am referring this evening are part of that. When the rail link to Midleton was reopened a number of years ago, one of the conditions was that there would be a lot of land zoned and more houses built in the area to provide customers for the rail link and make it viable. This happened. Unfortunately, the scale of school building did not keep up. I know that the number of schools has been announced along with the two schools in Carrigtwohill I am mentioning. Gaelscoil Mhainistir Na Corann, Midleton Educate Together and Gaelscoil de hÍde in Fermoy were also mentioned. Could the Minister of State get back to me about Gaelscoil Mhainistir Na Corann because there is also a delay in the Department responding to the county council with regard to a query relating to a planning condition? I would be grateful if he could have a look at that.

A proposal was made a number of years ago to amalgamate the two existing primary schools - Scoil Mhuire Naofa, which is a boys' school in Carrigtwohill, and Scoil Chlochair Mhuire, which is the girls' school - into a new 32-classroom school. There is now a concern that this school might not be big enough. Could the Minister of State address that in his response or come back to me later? This was scheduled for 2016 or 2017 but we are told today that it will proceed in 2015. They have grown to a size which exceeds the anticipated capacity of the proposed new building.

I understand there is a lack of communication between the Department and the board of management as to whether they should accept additional numbers now, but no other option is available for parents in this town. Where are the children to go if the schools cannot take them?

Additional temporary accommodation is required in both of the primary schools from next September. The county council identified problems with recent requests for temporary accommodation on the grounds of traffic impact, portacabins and limited play areas. I understand the GAA is facilitating car parking. The Department has already sanctioned seven portacabins at Scoil Mhuire Naofa since 2006, and the other school is also under pressure. Scoil Mhuire Naofa had a projected enrolment of 438 in September 2014 and it achieved 431, which was an increase of 51 on September 2013. This resulted in a gain of 38 pupils in total. It has a projected enrolment of 469 for September 2015 and 500 for 2016. These numbers are rising rapidly, and I understand the other school faces similar challenges, with 100 applications for next September. Both schools are concerned about the impact of curtailing developments on local children, many of whom have siblings in the school.

It was expected that the amalgamation of the two schools would have already proceeded to the planning stage but I understand the process is held up by site acquisition. Has a site been acquired? In response to a Parliamentary Question tabled on 2 October 2014, I was told that once the site has been acquired a design team would be appointed. What is the position on the appointment of the design team? What is the projected timeframe for design and submission of planing? The school understands that the 32 classroom amalgamated school might be built through the rapid build programme but it is estimated that the appointment of a design team consultation process with stakeholders, the design development, integrating with other services, the planning process and getting the building permits could take as long as 24 to 30 months. Is that correct? Will the new school be ready to accept pupils in September 2015 or is September 2016 more likely? I understand the 32 classroom primary school will be on the same site as the new 800-pupil second-level school. Is this correct?

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