Dáil debates

Thursday, 2 March 2023

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

School Accommodation

4:15 pm

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I have raised issues affecting the primary school in Carrick-on-Shannon many times. The school campus was originally built in 1952. It was extended in 1983 and amalgamated in 2013. Scoil Mhuire in Carrick-on-Shannon is no longer fit for purpose. A technical report by the Department of Education has painted a damning picture of the school principal, staff and pupils having to cope in packed undersized classrooms with major defects and identified issues that need immediate attention.

Since the amalgamation with the boy’s national school in 2013 under one management, Scoil Mhuire has struggled to cope across two campuses and its pupil enrolment has doubled. As both campuses are located along major traffic thoroughfares, there is complete chaos at opening and closing times. What is required is a new school on a new site away from the hub of the town centre. I acknowledge the campaign by the board of management and the parents committee for a new school but, unfortunately, there is little or no progress to report on that ambition.

I urge the Minister of State to examine the details of the technical report by the Department of Education that bears out the justification for a campaign for a new school on a new site. The Department conducted a technical report on both existing sites and concluded that it would not be possible to provide an 18- or 24-classroom primary school on the existing site. Both sites were considered too small to cater for the entire school. Defects that need urgent attention were identified, some of which have been addressed under emergency works. Additional prefabs have been supplied and more are on the way to cater for increased enrolment. The report highlighted the principal’s concern about the size of existing teaching spaces in the building when compared with the Department standard room layouts and sizes of classrooms, offices and supporting teaching spaces, SET, rooms. The classrooms in question are 41 sq. m, approximately half the size of the standard 80 sq. m classroom.

Existing storage and corridor spaces have had to be converted into special education teaching rooms to cater for classes using one or two special education teachers, SETs, resulting in inner rooms having to be accessed through existing rooms. A number of other defects were identified, including in respect of ventilation, visible settlement cracks and cracking along the corridors, lack of airflow, water ingress under the floor and no staff or visitor parking evident at one site. The provision of prefabs as additional spaces, while welcome, continues to reduce already limited play and outdoor areas.

The report did not address the public road areas and congestion at arrival and departure times, traffic and other risks in those areas. The report did result in emergency works being completed, including a new roof on part of one site to address the evidence of roof leaks throughout the original 1952 and 1983 extensions.

We need a new school. The parents, teachers and students need a new school. Now is the time to deliver a new school for the people of Carrick-on-Shannon.

4:25 pm

Photo of Thomas ByrneThomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and apologise for the absence of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Foley. The Deputy's question gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department with regard to the primary school situation in Carrick-on-Shannon, in particular the existing St. Mary’s Primary School, about which the Deputy spoke so eloquently.

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary levels. Current and planned residential development activity, as well as Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets, additionally inform the Department's forecasts of school place needs. Where data indicate that additional provision is required at primary or post-primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, using existing unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools and the provision of a new school or schools.

The Deputy will appreciate that our Department has a strong track record of the delivery of school building projects and this was maintained in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. Approximately 180 school building projects were delivered last year and a further 273 school building projects remained under construction at the start of 2023, most of which will be completed this year. I am appreciative of the strong support provided by Government for our education budget. As part of the supplementary budget, €300 million in additional capital funding was provided in 2022. This helped to alleviate capital funding pressures that arose in 2022 and was reflective of the strong delivery by the Department of school building projects, particularly to support mainstream provision and special education needs provision. The Department's overall capital outturn for 2022 was €1.12 billion.

Our Department's planning and building unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2023 in the context of its available funding. My Department's published national development plan allocation for 2023 is €860 million. High construction inflation remains a continuing feature of the construction sector for 2023. As part of its planning ahead for 2023, the Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in respect of capital funding pressures in order to continue to be able to adequately support the operation of the school system with a roll-out of school building projects to construction in 2023.

Key priorities for the work programme include continuing strong delivery to support the operation of the school system with particular regard to planning ahead for the 2023-24 school year and beyond, and also with particular regard to supporting special needs provision. The school to which the Deputy refers is among the many school accommodation needs across the country being considered as part of this process and in that context, modular accommodation to facilitate two classrooms has been sanctioned for the school. I understand, however, the point the Deputy is making about the desire for a new building in St. Mary's Primary School in Carrick-on-Shannon. My Department’s overall approach is to ensure that available capacity is maximised to the greatest extent possible as part of its consideration of applications for additional accommodation. In addition, our Department is working to ensure that projects in the pipeline for planning and delivery are focused on maximising their alignment with overall capacity requirements.

The Department has been considering the long-term accommodation needs of the school and reviewing the demographics for Carrick-on-Shannon. This consideration also includes a technical report, to which the Deputy referred, on the condition of the St. Mary’s Primary School building, which followed a visit to the school by Department’s personnel. A determination in respect of the best way forward will be taken as soon as possible in the context of capital funding. The Department will be in touch with the school patron in due course regarding the future of St. Mary’s Primary School.

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. The board of management at the school have over the years since amalgamation fought hard to have facilities improved and with the Department co-operation through emergency works, summer work and occasional exceptional funding, ensured the best possible facilities for the pupils and staff. The board of management fully recognises that those facilities and working conditions are well below what should be available to the parents and above all to the staff and pupils who daily provide and benefit from the best possible education with the resources available. The school continues to respond to community needs and other needs as they arise. Indeed, where numbers allowed in one or two classes, additional Ukrainian students have been enrolled. I know the local authority and community will respond positively to assist in identifying a site if required. The local authority is now developing and updating the Carrick-on-Shannon town development plan.

It is good to know that the Department has been considering the long-term needs of the school. We need to review the demographics on the Carrick-on-Shannon school planning area. The technical report on the condition of the school, which followed a visit to the school by the Department's professional and technical personnel, was welcome. We need a determination, as the Minister of State said, as to the best way forward. We all need to work together on this issue. Parents, teachers, management, the local authority and the community will respond with the Department to try to identify a suitable site and will work together for a new school. I am heartened that the Department will be in further contact with the school patron in due course. We all need to work together to get a reasonable and positive solution to this ongoing problem.

Photo of Thomas ByrneThomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank the Deputy for his comments. The Department is currently considering the long-term capacity requirements in Carrick-on-Shannon, taking into account existing demographic requirements as well as current and future residential developments in the area. It is important that school building projects take appropriate account of the longer-term needs of an area, as well as ensuring that the immediate school place requirements can be facilitated. Officials will continue to engage with the relevant patrons in this regard. The consideration of the accommodation requirements for St. Mary’s Primary School forms part of the planning and building unit’s overall assessment of its work programme and priorities for 2023.

The provision of required school places, including for children with special educational needs, is a priority for the Department and my officials are working to ensure there is sufficient provision in St. Mary’s Primary School for future years. According to projections I have, enrolment in Carrick-on-Shannon will be relatively stable. However, I note that St. Mary's Primary School has seen an 8% increase in enrolment over the past five years. For 2022, the enrolment was 495 and I expect that number to grow in the future. I thank the Deputy for his advocacy. There is no doubt but that the building officials in the Department are listening to the school and the Deputy and the representations they are making.