Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas don Seanadóir as ucht seans a thabhairt dom an cheist seo a phlé agus a bheith níos soiléire on the position of the amalgamation of three national schools in Greenhills - St. Paul's senior girls, St. Paul's junior girls and St. Peter's boys.

In January 2014, the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul the Apostle transferred the trusteeship of St. Paul's senior national school to the Dublin archdiocese. This transfer meant that the three primary schools in Greenhills parish were under diocesan responsibility and the patron deemed it an opportune time to review the provision of Catholic primary school education in the parish. The patron's office subsequently commenced discussions with the boards of management of the three schools regarding the future requirements for Catholic primary education in Greenhills parish. Following a number of meetings, agreement was reached with the three boards that there would be a junior and a senior co-educational school on the St. Paul's site. Taking into account representations from the three boards that sufficient time would be allowed for the smooth transition, it was decided that the two new schools would commence operation in September 2015.

The patron's office has confirmed that accommodation for the children in the ASD unit has been a major consideration in these negotiations. While the junior school has such a unit, the senior school has also agreed to establish one following a request from the National Council for Special Education. My Department has confirmed its willingness to provide grant aid to both schools to establish these units, which will also include sensory rooms. My officials will continue to work closely with the schools to ensure this permanent accommodation is put in place. In the meantime, the schools are undertaking conversion works to the toilet areas to facilitate the co-education arrangement from next September and my Department is providing grants to the schools for these works.

The schools have decided that the introduction of co-education will be on a phased basis in the two new schools. Co-education will commence with junior infants in September 2015 in the new junior school. The current single sex classes will remain unchanged for the next number of years to allow the transition to take place. These classes will be accommodated in either the new junior or the new senior school. In some cases, there may be agreement with parents for other classes to become co-educational. This is a matter for the school community to decide. The two schools will be known as Holy Spirit junior primary school and Holy Spirit senior primary school.

The mainstream staffing levels in the schools will comprise a principal and 12 mainstream classroom teachers in the junior school and a principal and 11 mainstream classroom teachers in the senior school as well as two special class teachers. In addition, three amalgamation concessionary teaching posts will be approved between the two schools. The resource teaching and English as an additional language, EAL, provision will remain at current levels, namely, the junior school will have 2.6 posts and the senior school will have 2.4 posts. In June 2015, the patron intends appointing a single manager to oversee the transition and assist in establishing two new boards of management.

I do not have specific information on the outside play area. Perhaps I can revert to the Senator on that.