John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We are having technical issues.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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We have run out of fuel.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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Go for solar or wind.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Táim ag labhairt inniu ar son na dtuismitheoirí, na ndaltaí agus na múinteoirí i nGaelcholáiste Reachrann i nDomhnach Míde. Tá an scoil ag feidhmiú i bhfoirgnimh shealadacha le breis agus 20 bliain. Tá sé ráite go minic ag an Rialtas go bhfuil an tionscadal ag dul ar aghaidh ach níl sé.

I raise yet again a matter that is a key priority for me. I spoke about it during the negotiations to form the Government. Gaelcholáiste Reachran is a school I know well. Many of my friends attended this school and their brothers and sisters are attending it now. The frustration of those involved with the school is growing day by day. They have been promised change for 24 years but they are still waiting. Currently, only 56 students are enrolled in first year. This represents a collapse in confidence. Why would there not be such a collapse? There have been temporary buildings in place since 2001, with no timeline, no delivery and no answers. Let us be honest, 24 years is not temporary; it is permanent. The school is not fit for purpose. No student should spend their entire school life in a prefab. No family should be expected to tolerate that, and no Government should allow it.

I have raised this matter three times in the Chamber. I continue to get the same response. The most recent update from the Department indicates that the project is at stage 3 and that a new grant of planning was received in December 2023 and is still being examined by the design team. The update ends by stating that the project remains a priority.

With full respect, it does not seem to me or to those of my constituents who are trying to send their children to be educated through the medium of Irish that this project is a priority. The founders of our State would turn in their graves if they thought that a school providing education through our native language is still looking for a permanent building. There are Gaeilgeoirs in north Dublin. The highest number of speakers of the Irish language live in Dublin, and we are not providing some of them with a permanent secondary school building. In the winter, the kids attending the school are freezing. It is ridiculous. The school has pupils enrolled,and there is demand. It has leadership and an unbelievable track record. The one thing it does not have is a proper school building. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is here. I welcome the fact that she has been engaging with me on this matter. I ask the Tánaiste directly not for a briefing or a phone call but for an in-person site visit before the end of the school term.

If this Government is serious about the Irish language, this is the test. On a broader point about being serious about the Irish language, Foras na Gaeilge is still operating on a 2003 budget. In 2003, it had €17 million while in 2025, it has €17 million. Meanwhile, the Arts Council went from €44 million to €140 million. I am delighted to see that the Arts Council got this increase, and I welcome that, but if the Irish language matters it is time to prove it.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I thank Deputy Heneghan for the question and for raising these two issues regarding the Irish language, particularly the school in his constituency, Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, and also Foras na Gaeilge and its funding. Let me address both of them. I hear and understand the Deputy's frustration but as he knows, this school is going to be a very large-scale capital project. The aim is to include the provision of a new 600-pupil school building, including all the associated ancillary accommodation. My understanding is that the project was originally authorised to proceed to tender upon completion of the pre-qualification shortlisting in September 2022. The planning permission on that was due to expire in December 2022, and it was anticipated that an application to extend the duration could be submitted but then there were changes to the Planning and Development Act, and therefore they had to basically submit a new application. That is the history; everybody knows it but it is just important to say it.

A new grant of planning permission was received in December 2023. There were a number of conditions attached to that. Decarbonisation measures were included in a revised project scope, and a design team is finalising the tender documents in line with revised technical guidance issued by the Minister, Deputy McEntee's Department. The Department of Education remains in very close contact with the design team and with the patron throughout the process. I will certainly pass on the Deputy's request - indeed, the Minister heard it herself - with regard to that school. I know the Minister, Deputy McEntee's officials will be in contact with the school authority as soon as the design team has completed the tender documents.

On the other question about Foras na Gaeilge, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is sitting near me and he chaired a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council language body sector on 10 April. At that, the specific business plans for Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency were agreed. I am pleased to say that the agreed funding for 2025 does include a once-off payment of €630,000 from the Irish Government to Foras na Gaeilge in respect of historic pension costs. This is good news because it is going to enable that agency to reverse cuts it unfortunately and regrettably had to announce earlier this year. It did not want to find itself in that position.

I am also pleased to say the Government will provide one-off funding of €40,000 to support the Ulster-Scots Agency community programme. Officials in both the sponsoring departments and both finance departments North and South have been working closely with colleagues in both agencies, and are trying to look at what the longer term looks like. Discussions have begun regarding a new corporate plan for 2026 to 2028, and this will involve a full review of things like governance, procedural matters and how the treatment of pensions is dealt with. I hope that can bring us to a positive place with regard to the budgetary trajectory for Foras na Gaeilge into the future. In the meantime, we have made that interim or one-off payment of €630,000, which I know has been well received, is much needed, and will have a very positive impact on both.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Tánaiste agus an Aire. Yet again - and I see why people get frustrated - the Tánaiste did not answer my question. Will the Tánaiste and the Minister commit to a visit to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann before the end of the school term? Will they commit to that? That is all I am asking for - a commitment. The school is waiting. I will drive them there; it is 25 minutes away.

It is very simple. The children are in prefabs which are freezing. Children are trying to go to school. They are in north Dublin, an area where we need to be encouraging the Irish language. I am just asking for a commitment. That is all I want from the Tánaiste and the Minister - a commitment to visit the school and the teachers in the next two months. They are unbelievable but they need a visit from the Tánaiste and the Minister to show their commitment. All I am asking for is a commitment - not more lip-service and delays. Will the Tánaiste and the Minister commit to a visit to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann before the end of the school term to set in motion a process that finally ends this injustice?

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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No pressure, Minister.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy was certainly very clear in his question, in case I did not understand it the first time. I know the Minister intends to visit and she will be happy to work with the Deputy and colleagues in Dublin Bay North with regard to arranging that. I certainly want to assure all the students and staff there, who I know have been waiting a long time as I have heard this raised in the Dáil for a quite a time, that this is a project that is genuinely getting a lot of attention. The planning permission is now in place. They are working through this with the design team to try to get this project moving forward. I think the Minister has made it clear that she does look forward to visiting.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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There is a commitment, is there?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I cannot say much more. I was quite clear.