Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his positive response. As he rightly pointed out, one cause for the delay was the Department's understandable changing of the schedules of accommodation at schools for pupils with special needs. Subsequently, the increased enrolment meant that we had to go back to the drawing board. The situation has been frustrating for those of us who have been supporting the project over a number of years. We all believed that we were close to construction stage. This time last year, it was strongly indicated that construction would commence during the course of 2017 and Cavan County Council expeditiously approved the planning application for temporary accommodation to facilitate the total relocation while construction commenced on the new building. The board of management, the parents' association and the wider school community were planning on moving to the new temporary location this summer.

I hope the Minister will speak with the officials in his Department's building unit and give the school's professional advisers the necessary approval so the initial procurement of contractors process can commence. I understand this is necessary and would ensure that no further delays would occur.

As the Minister rightly pointed out, the school has a proud record and has experienced phenomenal growth. Like other public representatives who have visited it, I know that space there is tight, to put it mildly. The fact that its children are on two different sites is not good enough. They must return to the main building at lunch time, which costs good, valuable school time.

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