Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very disappointed that neither the Minister for Education nor the Minister of State with responsibility for special education is here today. This goes to the heart of the way Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig has been treated. It is insulting to the seriousness of this issue we have tabled that the Ministers are not here to discuss it. Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig in Cork has been trying to secure special classes for over 11 years, since 2013. The principal, staff, board of management and parents have done everything they could to work with the Department to secure funding to provide these much-needed classes. They have been blocked at every opportunity. The school requires €4.5 million to knock and rebuild a section of the school. Given the limited space, knock and rebuild is the only viable solution. A grant of €800,000 has been made towards a subsidence issue in the same section of the school and €300,000 has been sanctioned to replace a prefab in it. That €1.1 million would be better spent on a new build rather than putting sticking plasters over a building that is not fit for purpose and needs to be replaced. I am asking the Minister of State to give a commitment on when the Minister will meet the school community in Ballincollig and a commitment that this money will be forthcoming.

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