Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) will have a plan for a new school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23898/24]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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This question is about Castlebar Educate Together School. The school operates over three campuses and has 150 pupils. The Minister will be familiar with the school because she visited it in September 2022. She promised them at the time a new school but nothing has been delivered since. She asked them to submit possible locations and sites and they did that immediately but they cannot get any straight answers. Will the Minister tell me what is happening with Castlebar Educate Together?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Castlebar Educate Together National School was established as a four-class school under the terms of a divestment process in September 2016. I am very pleased to confirm that a capital project to provide a new permanent eight-classroom school building for the school is included in the Department of Education's school building programme pipeline. This capital project is at site acquisition stage. The site acquisition process is being progressed in line with standard acquisition protocols. The Department has engaged the services of a site acquisition manager consultancy team to identify and assess potential site options.

Following this extensive site identification and assessment exercise, a number of potential site options have been shortlisted for further consideration. This includes more detailed technical and economic appraisals of these potential site options. The Department is working towards securing the most suitable site for the school while also ensuring value for money for the Exchequer is achieved.

While the Department is putting a solution in place for the long-term needs of the school, additional accommodation has been provided for the school over recent years. The school, in line with terms agreed as part of the original divestment process, has been instructed to take cognisance of its existing accommodation capacity when managing its enrolment of 134 pupils.

The demand for school places in the Castlebar school planning area is projected to peak this year. Census data shows that the population of Castlebar town increased by 8% from 2016 to 2022. The number of primary school-aged children increased by 5.5%. However, the number of preschool children, aged zero to four, decreased by 12%. This downward trend in demographics is expected to impact school enrolments over the coming years.

The school also received approval to negotiate further with the owners of the premises on Newport Road for additional space, to include one special education tuition room, a staff room and a toilet. It was necessary to obtain planning permission for this work, and this has since been obtained. The Department has approved reconfiguration of this additional space for use by the school. This project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery under the Department's additional accommodation scheme.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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Part of the problem is the pipeline and how long the pipeline is. Since the possible sites were submitted to the Minister, nothing seems to have happened from the school end. Some of the children are in Marsh House, some are in Cavendish Lane and some are near the hat factory. The Minister may have heard Sarah Calvey, the principal, and Sarah Scott, one of the pupils, on "Morning Ireland" this morning describing how they have to go back and over to the different premises. It is not right in this day and age, so I ask the Minister to expedite that as quickly as possible.

The other reason I ask the Minister to expedite this is the fact that so much money is being wasted in between on heating and lighting three buildings that are not conducive to the education that can be delivered through Educate Together. It is really important that school is delivered as quickly as possible on one site. The children of Castlebar deserve better than what they are getting at the moment.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has not been found wanting in making the additional facilities available. At the time of the establishment in 2016, the school was designated as a four-classroom school with the agreement of the patron. That is what the patron agreed to, and it was agreed with the patron that enrolments would be managed within the available accommodation. It was agreed the school would grow to eight classes when a suitable permanent solution or suitable accommodation could be put in place. In 2016, the four-class school could have facilitated approximately 100 pupils, but the current enrolment is 134 pupils. That is across six classes. That is two classes more than was agreed at the time of the establishment. The school has also been supported with an additional teacher in recognition of the fact it is a split site. I acknowledge that great work happens in the school every single day. The new permanent build to facilitate an eight-classroom school has been agreed by the Department, and we are seeking to put in place the appropriate site. That is being worked on and a manager has been put in place. I absolutely agree with the Deputy, and this will be expedited as quickly as possible.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for that. We are very keen to get a timeline on this, as she can see, in order that we can reassure the parents and the teachers as well as the children, who asked me about this at a meeting recently. One parent I spoke to has a child with special needs and she just cannot understand why the sibling cannot be on the same side as her. I ask that this be expedited as quickly as possible in order that money can be saved and that, once and for all, we can have a permanent location for this school. The school is on a journey of real success in the demand there has been for it. That is reflective of the parents and the teachers and the good standard of education that is delivered there. I ask the Minister to expedite the process, identify the site as quickly as possible and proceed with it on that basis in order that certainty can be given to the families, the children and the teachers who are working under extremely difficult conditions.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I absolutely agree with the Deputy. There is excellent work happening in the school every single day. The Department has not been found wanting when it comes to resourcing Mayo. More than €111 million between 2020 and 2024 has been expended on buildings in the Mayo school area. That is 46 school building projects. There are 11 additional accommodation and large-scale projects currently in the Department's school building programme pipeline across the county. In those four years, more than €530 million has been shared within the Educate Together patronage. The Department also currently funds a project manager or a buildings officer for Educate Together to help it move along with the projects under its care or under its wing. It is my determination that we will expedite this as quickly as possible. We have put a manager in place to ensure the appropriate site for the best needs of the school and all the other requirements are put in place as a matter of urgency.