Dáil debates
Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Site Acquisitions
9:12 am
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I return to a familiar topic that I have raised in the Dáil a number of times. I acknowledge that the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is taking this debate. I wish to express my disappointment, but also my understanding, that the Minister, Deputy Foley, is not in a position to take it. She is familiar with this long-standing issue.
The opening of a new school in any community is an important milestone, particularly for younger generations. In Ballincollig, we have a fantastic network of education infrastructure, but we need new school buildings for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, which has been in temporary accommodation for four years. This September will see Le Chéile Secondary School opening its doors for the first time. I wish its principal, Ms Nicola Barrett, and staff every success.
We want permanent accommodation for these schools. On average, the Department's timeframe from the point of identifying a site to turning the key and moving into a new school is approximately five years. This means that the pupils who are now in second class in the Gaelscoil's current accommodation at the rugby club in Tanner Park will never see the new school. We need to get a move on. We have been at this for some time. I appreciate that site acquisition is not easy, particularly in a rapidly growing town such as Ballincollig where there is a great deal of pressure on the available land. I had hoped that the Minister would be in attendance so that I could urge her to take a hands-on approach and drive the conclusion of the acquisitions for these new schools in Ballincollig. I await with interest the Department's response to this matter.
Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to update the House on the site acquisition for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin and Le Chéile Secondary School in Ballincollig, whose building projects are included in the Department's capital programme. Under the memorandum of understanding in place between the Department and local authorities, officials in my Department are working with Cork City Council on the identification and acquisition of suitable sites for the two schools.
Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin opened in September 2017 in temporary accommodation on Ballincollig Rugby Football Club's grounds. Additional temporary accommodation was provided to the school for the 2020-21 school year. A new 16-classroom school will be provided when a suitable site has been acquired. Following a recent patronage determination process, Le Chéile Secondary School was established and is due to open this September in temporary accommodation at Ballincollig GAA.
As the Deputy mentioned, the identification of suitable sites for schools in Cork has proven challenging for the Department and Cork City Council. In 2016, a potential site was identified as most suitable for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin. However, it was not possible to progress the acquisition at the time because access to the site had to be established. Subsequently, the Department was advised that the land had since gone to probate and, therefore, the acquisition process could not proceed. In 2018, the need for a 1,000-pupil post-primary school for Ballincollig was identified and sites to accommodate the two schools were sought. In 2019, two further sites were identified, but one of them has been identified by the council as a future cemetery and the other proved unsuitable following technical assessment. Another site suitable for a campus was identified in 2020, but the landowner is proving an unwilling vendor. Further discussions were held in 2020 by the Department with Cork City Council regarding the urgent need for a site to accommodate the campus.
Two further sites have been identified this year, one for each school. The Deputy will be glad to hear that negotiations with the landowner of one of these sites recently commenced. The other site has just been valued and the next stage will be to commence negotiations with the landowner. A significant number of potential site options have been identified. Each of these has been technically assessed. This assessment required the consideration of complex technical issues in conjunction with Cork city and county councils. However, for reasons of suitability, availability or unwillingness on behalf of the vendor, the acquisition of a suitable site has proved difficult.
I have noted the Deputy's remarks, including about the five-year timeframe. I join him in wishing Ms Barrett, the principal of Le Chéile Secondary School, the best of luck for the future. I acknowledge his remarks that the acquisition of any site is not easy. The process of identifying a suitable site takes time. There are various ways of doing that. The site must go through a technical assessment, a valuation must be performed and negotiations need to proceed. Even when there is agreement, due diligence needs to take place. There are a number of necessary steps in acquiring a site.
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I do not mean to sound ungrateful in any way, but this is the fourth time I have raised the issue in the House. I raised it on 21 April and 13 May 2020, and in October 2020. The script is by and large the same. I had hoped that the Minister would be in attendance so that I could urge her to take a hands-on approach. It is of the utmost importance that the issue be brought to a conclusion so that all of the next steps, which take an average of five years in total, can be progressed.
I will make a further point. I appreciate the difficulty in acquiring a site in any circumstance, but in a rapidly growing town such as Ballincollig, which is in close proximity to Cork city, it is particularly difficult.
As important as acquiring a site is, acquiring the right site is critical. The right site will take account of the location of existing school infrastructure and where the growth in population is taking place in Ballincollig, particularly on its southern and western boundaries. I urge the Minister of State to be conscious of this and not to acquire a site for the sake of it but to acquire the right site. I ask that professionals are involved so that we have proper spatial planning of Ballincollig, in terms of educational infrastructure, and that we have sustainable transport models to the new school, including pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and that we get the right outcome. I urge the Minister of State to convey to her colleague the absolute urgency of a hands-on approach. Le Chéile will open for secondary school students in September. Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin has been open for four years. It is beyond time the Department brought this matter to a successful conclusion.
9:22 am
Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I note what he is saying on the urgency of this matter. I also note it is his fourth time raising it in the Dáil. I will relay this information to the Minister, Deputy Foley. I have no doubt that she takes a hands-on approach in so far as possible with all of the building projects.
What the Deputy said about Ballincollig, and the fact it is a very busy area, goes to show how difficult and challenging it has been for the Department to acquire a site. I also agree with him that it cannot be just a matter of acquiring a site for the sake of it and that it needs to be a site that is right and for the right reasons. I note what the Deputy said in this regard about spatial planning and sustainable transport options. All of these matters need to be considered and taken seriously when we speak about building a school. It cannot be done in haste. Due diligence has to be done on the right location, apart from the technical aspect of acquiring a site. Of course, the best value for the Exchequer needs to be taken into account also. I note that Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin will be getting 16 new classrooms. This will be provided for in the interim. Le Chéile will get a 1,000-pupil post-primary school building in due course. It is fair to say the Minister, Deputy Foley, the Department and I would like this to be expedited as soon as practicable and as soon as possible. I will pass on the Deputy's comments because we want to ensure children have adequate accommodation when they are learning in school on a daily basis.