Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their contribution. My understanding is that there are limitations around the Mill Road site, insofar as it can take a tranche of students for 2021 but not for 2022. It is possible to add two additional classrooms on the site without interfering with the play area. At a push, an additional two classrooms, making four in total, could be added but these would have to be put on the school's play area. An additional four classrooms could be provided, therefore, on the site for 2021 and this would be the maximum. While this could accommodate an enrolment of 72 pupils, the school could not then enrol any further pupils and would have no accommodation left for a September 2022 intake. That is the difficulty when one talks about long-term potential for this school, rather than being able to take a small cohort of pupils in for one year and then having to change again.

On site identification for a permanent location, the Department is actively trying to engage with the two sites it is looking at to see if there is a way this school can be provided for. The delivery of the ETB headquarters has been devolved to the ETB and departmental officials are meeting with the ETB tomorrow to review progress with the project and consider the next steps in progressing it, with a view to proceeding to tender and construction as quickly as possible.

The accommodation on the ETB side will have 13 classrooms as opposed to, say, six, two special education needs classrooms, 14 specialist rooms, a library, a staff room and there will be access to playing fields. I have heard what the Deputies have said and their impassioned pleas, which I will pass on to the Minister and the Department.

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