Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response. He received a script from the officials in the Department of Education which fails to address any of the points I raised. That is not surprising. What I find even more staggering is that it fails even to address any of the engagements that civil servants, at principal or assistant secretary level in the Department of Education, had in calling the school directly and not availing of the devolved arrangements through the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board. I find that absolutely appalling. It is alarming for school management to receive a call to say there are issues with the delivery of a project the school believed had been approved and committed to by the Department. Given the importance of this project for the school management, that is an appalling way to treat the school and also Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board. That needs to be rectified in regard to the script the Minister of State received.

The project management team met on-site at Easter and had a conversation in regard to the approval and design of temporary accommodation. It was alarming that the Department thought it would be acceptable to turn temporary accommodation into a permanent solution. The Department needs to take a reality check in this regard.

To ensure the Department and Minister are aware of the matter, I place on record that the GAA pitch at Davitt College will be protected at all costs. The college worked extremely hard to ensure that pitch was available for temporary accommodation only, not as a permanent solution. As the Minister of State can imagine, parents and students are seriously concerned about this matter and the issue with St. Bríd's Special School. There are eight weeks left until the next academic year. What is the alternative if accommodation is not provided to both schools?

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