Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the way in which plans can be advanced for a new school (details supplied) on the new site offered free of charge to the State, within the town boundaries of Milford. [39850/26]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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First, I thank the Minister for visiting Scoil Mhuire Milford last Friday – it was really appreciated - and seeing for herself the serious challenges that they face with the existing site. As the Minister knows, they have a new site secured. There will not be any issues with planning. It is across the road from Loreto Community School in the existing school environment up there. I hope the Minister can continue the momentum the previous Minister, Helen McEntee, brought and work towards a new school site for Scoil Mhuire Milford.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I had a wonderful visit to Scoil Mhuire Milford last week with Deputy Mac Lochlainn, Senator Manus Boyle and other Deputies. I want to commend the work of the school. You can see the fantastic ethos there, the learning and teaching and the warmth that is evident there. I always say it is very clear when you walk into a school the atmosphere that is there and that was very apparent in Scoil Mhuire Milford.

My Department has received an application for large-scale capital funding from the school. The officials have corresponded extensively with the school following that application. They met the patron and other school representatives. Discussions have been ongoing between the Department and the school around providing more information around enrolment patterns. From our discussion that day with the school, it will submit that.

As the Deputy will know, the Department provided additional capacity at the school through a significant modular accommodation project that was completed in November 2024. In terms of managing remaining capacity pressures at the school, the Department understands that around 20% of the school’s current enrolment consists of pupils for whom it is not their nearest school. The school wants to come back with figures and evidence around that. We would really welcome that information.

My Department’s NDP rollout places a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and the prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. All applications from schools for major capital works, including Scoil Mhuire, must be considered in that context. My Department will continue to liaise with the patron and school authority within this context but we are also awaiting that information around the enrolment figures.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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It really was helpful for the Minister to be there and see for herself. She can see the location of the school in relation to the roads outside is entirely inappropriate. The school was built back in the day and does not reflect modern needs at all. The school site has no green area whatever for children to play. These are basic rights. The toilet areas are totally inadequate. The Minister will have seen the inadequate nature of the classrooms and the areas for children with special needs just are not there.

I am really glad the Minister said at the outset that it is a tremendous school. The Minister saw the culture that day. The teaching staff are really proud of their educational environment but they do not have the amenities they deserve. The standard of education they are providing and the support with the community is notable. The fact the school got the site tells the Minister about the support it has in the community. It is a remarkable thing to offer a greenfield site free of charge. They have done the work with the local councillors on planning. It is a really unique case. I cannot think of a stronger case in terms of national schools in Donegal. I ask the Minister to continue the good work of her predecessor. She was moved to another portfolio and now Deputy Naughton is the Minister. I am delighted she came to visit the school to see for herself. Let us keep the momentum going now.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy knows, the school operates on a tight urban site which adjoins a relatively busy road than most rural schools. The school has identified various issues with accommodation, including traffic management, uneven and small internal floor areas and, as I could see for myself, a sloping site topography and a limited play space. The school also referenced expected future housing growth and the urgency of acting on the offer of a local landowner to swap a greenfield site for a new school in exchange for the current site. The Department will continue to liaise with the school.

Since 2020 we have invested €228.24 million in capital funding for schools in Donegal. Seventy-three schools have been upgraded either through a new building, a large-scale extension or modular accommodation and there are eight school projects under construction. I know the Deputy’s question related to this school - I will continue to work with it in order to try to progress this.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I checked with the school last Friday. Deputy Naughton is the fourth Minister for education during this process. That says a lot. The public representatives in Donegal - cross party - have come together and appealed to Ministers to come and see the school: Joe McHugh from Donegal was there as were Deputy Norma Foley, Deputy Helen McEntee and now Deputy Naughton. I appreciate every one of them came to the school to visit but the reason we have impressed on the Minister about this is that we feel so strongly, as a cross-party group of TDs and Senators, that this school is a unique case. The school has waited a long time. They thought when they were posed with the challenge of getting a site that when they secured a site free of charge to State - it has all the amenities, is across the road from the existing secondary school, is the perfect location and planning will not be an issue – they could get momentum. I ask the Minister to continue the positive mindset she brought last Friday and get a new school for that town.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. He will appreciate I cannot confirm anything there in the Dáil Chamber. All I can say is it was great to see the school for myself. I know the great work happening there, the constraints the school is working within and the fantastic job it is doing in relation to teaching and learning. The enrolment figures are important. I understand the school says it has that work completed and will send it into the Department in relation to the review of enrolment patterns in the area and looking at the current enrolment coming from areas served by other schools. That is important in terms of trying to progress this. I thank the Deputy for his time.