John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I have raised a number of matters on the Adjournment recently relating to education and I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, is present to respond on this matter. It concerns Colaiste Pobail Osraí in Kilkenny city. The school has operated as a post-primary school for a number of years and has been located in its current premises since 1995. The premises is located at the back of Ormond College on Ormond Road in Kilkenny city.

The school's difficulties involve the school buildings. Much of the existing school is accommodated in prefabricated structures and in recent years the school has been considering a number of sites in Kilkenny for a new school building. I call on the Minister and the Department to set the wheels in motion at the earliest opportunity to ensure the new school building will be provided. Colaiste Pobail Osraí is an Irish language secondary school and one of its requirements is that the site of the new school be located in the vicinity of its main feeder primary school, Gaelscoil Osraí. In raising the matter this evening I hope to put pressure on the Department's officials and engineers to locate and acquire a site and commence work as soon as possible.

Colaiste Osraí was granted independent status in 2007 and it is seeking to have that grant of independence acted on with the provision of a new school building. The school's existing structures are dilapidated and outdated, and are not suitable for education into the future. The school has gone from strength to strength in terms of increasing enrolment in recent years. There is a revived interest in the Irish language throughout the country and that is reflected in the large number of students attending primary and secondary schools that educate through Irish. I hope the Minister will have a favourable response for me.