Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to speak today about school builds. There are 27 projects ongoing under the large-scale and additional accommodation schemes in County Carlow.

Just nine modular accommodation projects are under way. To date in 2023, more than €425,000 has been paid in emergency works funding to Carlow schools. Yet I know of so many schools where children are being taught in prefabs and overcrowded and dated accommodation.

One school in Carlow has not progressed beyond stage 2A of the additional school accommodation scheme, even though the process began in 2019. The project information memorandum states that 18 months is the expected timeframe to reach stage 2A. It is now approaching three years since the fire officer was appointed in this case and I am at a loss to see what is happening. I have almost been knocking the Minister's door down and I am really trying to get this school over the line.

I was also in a school last week in Bagenalstown, which is in the same situation. It is in desperate need of better accommodation and a new school. In County Carlow, just three new special classes opened for 2023, one at primary level and two at post-primary level. This brings the total number of classes in County Carlow to 48.

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