James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The Deputy has been working on it for some time. I am providing a response outlining to the House the major building project that will be undertaken at Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin, and also recent interactions between the school, its patron body and the Department of Education on the current condition of the existing school building.

The school currently occupies a building constructed during the 1950s, over two storeys, on its site at Glasanaon Road and the building fabric and finishes are typical of a building of that type and age. Under the Department's emergency works scheme, refurbishment works to the boys' toilet areas were carried out in 2021 and a tender report for works to the girls' toilet areas is awaited. The Department of Education recently approved funding to provide interim accommodation on the school site to facilitate the establishment of a special class for the 2022-23 academic year.

A Department architect visited the school earlier this year and advised the school authorities to make the appropriate applications for necessary emergency works. The Department has assisted the school in appointing a building surveyor to carry out a survey in support of that emergency works application. The application has not yet been submitted to the Department of Education. In a meeting earlier this week with the school's patron, the Department officials were further apprised of the current conditions in the building. At that meeting, the Department officials agreed with the patron that there is a need for further maintenance and to provide additional accommodation for special needs pupils in the coming months.

A major building project to provide new suitable accommodation for Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin is included in the Department's construction programme, which is being delivered under the national development plan, NDP, as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework. As per the brief formulation document to be supplied to the incoming design team, the options of an extension-refurbishment of the existing or, alternatively, a new school building for Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin and the demolition of the existing school building will be fully considered by the school and its design team at stage 1 of the architectural planning process.

See this speech in context