Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, for taking this Adjournment matter. I raised the situation of Gaelscoil Bharra in Dublin 7 on the Adjournment on a previous occasion and today I propose briefly to outline how the situation has changed in the interim. This gaelscoil, which is extremely successful and popular, has been located in temporary prefabricated buildings for 13 years. Parents in the area it serves are enormously supportive of the school which does a fantastic job of teaching and supporting its pupils.

The management committee of the school has made many efforts to progress its status and to secure its inclusion on the schools building list. Since I last raised this issue in the House some months ago, the school has concluded discussions with Naomh Fionnbarra GAA club which owns the land upon which the prefabricated accommodation is located. The club is supportive of the provision of permanent accommodation for the school on this site. The school management is now in discussions with Dublin City Council on procedures to facilitate the rezoning of the land to allow for the provision of permanent accommodation.

What is hindering the progression of this project is the most important ingredient, namely, approval and funding from the Department of Education and Science to facilitate the delivery of permanent accommodation for the school. I will continue to raise this issue until such time as the Department offers a commitment that it will do all it can to provide a permanent school building on the current site in respect of which great progress has been made in terms of zoning and acquisition. All the stakeholders are supportive of the work taking place.