Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which has been raised consistently with me by Deputy Calleary and Senator Chambers. As Deputy Ring outlined, I met a deputation from the school and was happy to do so. Nevertheless, this Topical Issue matter gives me an opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to Holy Trinity National School.

Holy Trinity is a co-educational primary school under Church of Ireland patronage. The school had an enrolment of 63 pupils in the 2020-21 school year and a staffing of one principal, two mainstream class teachers and one special education teaching post. It is currently situated on a patron-owned site in a permanent building in the heart of Westport, comprising three classrooms and ancillary accommodation.

The Department has a largescale and ambitious plan for the roll-out of school building projects under the national development plan, NDP, and as part of Project Ireland 2040. The continuation of construction work on school building projects during the lockdown period in early 2021 was an important enabler in facilitating the delivery of our school building programme. Significant increased funding is provided to the school sector capital investment programme under the NDP. My Department’s focus for capital investment in recent years has been the provision of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and this is expected to continue to be a driver of capital investment in the short to medium term.

During the NDP period from 2018 to 2020, 526 building projects were completed under the large-scale capital programme and the additional school accommodation scheme. These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including permanent accommodation for 229 special classes, and additional capacity for 67 classrooms in 14 special schools throughout the country. The Department has a significant existing pipeline of projects to be delivered over the coming years to meet capacity needs. This is managed under the large-scale capital programme and the additional school accommodation scheme. This will make significant progress in providing modern energy-efficient school facilities and the replacement of temporary accommodation.

A building project to construct a new school building for Holy Trinity National School is included in the Department’s large-scale capital programme. It is the Department’s intention, subject to securing the usual statutory consents, that the school will be relocated to a Minister-owned site at Altamont Street, Westport. In line with the public spending code, to maximise the use of State assets consideration must be given to the potential to master-plan the Altamont Street site to accommodate a second primary school. This proposal has required engagement with the local authority and my Department is now in the process of finalising its assessment of this potential solution. This assessment is also incorporating current projections of future school place requirements, which were recently updated.

These projections of future school place demand are modelled using data from a range of sources, including school enrolments, attendance patterns and information on current and planned residential development activity. The Department also works closely with the National Council for Special Education in anticipating requirements for special education needs provision. Once the full assessment process is complete, my Department will be in further contact with the patron bodies of the schools in question, including Holy Trinity National School.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I assure him that my Department is concerned, at all times, with ensuring the accommodation needs of schools in Westport are appropriately advanced.

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