Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When we raised this with the Minister last year he said he would be sympathetic to the proposal that this should be fast-tracked if possible. He went on to say that he had been seeking in the previous two years to prioritise children with special educational needs. I urge the Minister to visit the school. I accept there are huge demands on the Minister's time and on the limited resources of the Department, and every group of politicians and parents who are seeking a capital project will invite the Minister to visit the school in question. However, if the Minister takes the time to visit Scoil Mochua he will be genuinely shocked by the Dickensian conditions there.

I note that when we asked the Minister about this last year the timescale was up to 2021. Now we are being told about a six year timescale. The concern of the parents, children and teachers, as well as the local representatives, is at what point in that six year period it will be. Perhaps the Minister will outline in detail what happens next, when this school can expect to get approval and when the building will finally be built so the children can get the education they deserve.

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