Dáil debates

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Other Questions

School Accommodation

3:20 pm

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State and the Minister know, the proposed Crana College campus in Buncrana is to facilitate three schools. These include Crana College secondary school, which has more than 500 students and more than 11 prefabs onsite. It is not possible to turn these prefabs into permanent accommodation because the site does not have the capacity for further development. There is also Buncrana Gaelscoil, which was established in 1999 and has gone from strength to strength. At present it is accommodated in Buncrana Youth Club and has more than 180 students. The other school is Coláiste Chineál Eoghain, which is the only second level Gaelscoil in Donegal and which is housed in Tullarvan Mill.

Two days from today, it will be exactly a year since I raised this issue on the floor of the Dáil and the Minister, Deputy O'Sullivan, responded to me. The response I received from her on that day was more positive than what I received today. It is bad enough when a project stands still but it is worse when it seems to go backwards. This time a year ago the Minister, Deputy O'Sullivan, indicated to me it was her feedback and information that a site had been identified. Today, one year later, we are, according to the Minister of State's response, still assessing numerous sites. We need to progress this quickly. It is unacceptable that it is simply not moving forward. Will the Minister of State update me in his response as to why it has gone no further forward and when we can expect to see a site purchased so we can start to progress the project?

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