Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Owenabue Educate Together National School was set up in 2020. It has faced a number of challenges during its short existence. A building that was earmarked for it at one stage was subsequently given to Carrigaline Community Special School. This was no fault of Carrigaline Community Special School, which is an excellent school. However, what happened made the long- and medium-term planning for the Owenabue Education Together National School challenging. A permanent site for the latter was identified last year, which was welcome. The site is in the vicinity of Janeville housing estate in Carrigaline, a town that has grown enormously over the past 20 years. Not terribly long ago, it was a village. Now, there are approximately 17,000 people living there. It is a rapidly growing town with a huge young population. As a result of this, there are many new schools in the area.

In January, Owenabue Educate Together National School was informed of the Department's proposals for interim accommodation. Even though the school has only junior and senior infants and first and second classes as it builds itself up, the Department's proposal was that the two parts of the school would be separated across the town. One would be based near the school's current and permanent site in Janeville and the other part would be located in temporary accommodation next to Carrigaline Educate Together National School, which is on other side of the town. This proposal is completely unworkable. Split campuses are seldom ideal. In the particular circumstances relating to this case, what is proposed would be completely unworkable. At the very best of times, it takes 35 to 40 minutes to walk or ten minutes to drive between the two locations. Carrigaline is a busy town, with a good deal of industry and heavy of traffic as people commute from there to Ringaskiddy and into the city. In the mornings, that trip could quite comfortably take 25 minutes. If a parent has to drop two children to each of these campuses and a third to one of the local secondary schools, it is completely unworkable. It is also unworkable for staff, including special needs assistants, SNAs, and special education teachers, who might have to move between the two locations for PE and other classes. My understanding is that the Department has accepted this to some extent. I will be interested to hear what the Minister of State has to say in that regard. It is also my understanding is that there is an acceptance that what is proposed is unworkable.

I look forward to hearing what the Minister of State has to say and what he can confirm on the record. The school has been working with the Department to try to come up an alternative. A site adjacent to the Janeville site, which may not be absolutely perfect, is being considered by the Department. There will still be significant challenges in terms of funding, and I might come back to that in my next contribution. In the first instance, however, I want to know if this completely unworkable proposal is off the table now and if the Department working on the potential alternative of the school being co-located between Janeville and the adjacent site, which, I believe, is either in Heronswood or close to it. If the Minister of State can provide an update on that, I will then come in on the financial challenges.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I do not believe what is set out in the Minister of State's reply. I know it is not his fault. I was offered the choice to postpone this matter or allow him to take it this morning. Conscious of the urgency of the situation, I asked that it be taken today. The Department officials who drafted the reply either did not look into the issue properly or they decided to be too clever by half.

I asked a very clear question, which was about the proposed plans for Owenabue Educate Together National School that involve splitting the school across two sites on either side of Carrigaline. My question obviously relates to the interim arrangements. The reply included ten paragraphs on the permanent solution, on which I am fully up to date, and only one paragraph on the interim solution. It is not good enough and I am very frustrated by it. I was hoping to receive confirmation regarding the interim situation. I know the Minister of State did not draft the reply. I brought the matter forward to be debated because there is an urgency to it. I am really disappointed and frustrated by the departmental response. I ask for a written response from the Department in the next day or two setting out the current state of play in terms of the temporary arrangements. We are fully aware of the permanent proposals. That is not where the concern arises at this time.

The concern relates to the interim proposals whereby the school will be split across a very busy town with heavy traffic. As I understand it, there are huge financial problems with the interim proposal involving an adjacent site. While there are grants for classrooms, there are no additional financial supports for the school to be split across two separate campuses. There is no grant for a staffroom and no additional funding for the extra heating, lighting, water, refuse, Internet and insurance costs. The capitation given to the school is based on the assumption that it is located in one place. That will be a huge challenge, even if the proposed different arrangement comes to pass. There is significant financial pressure at play. Will the Minister of State pass on the message to the Department that further financial support is needed for the school?