Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta gur í féin atá anseo, mar Aire sinsearach sa Roinn Oideachais, leis an gceist seo a ghlacadh. Tá scoil an-speisialta againn ar an gCeathrú Rua, Tigh Nan Dooley, atá ag déanamh obair den scoth agus táim ag ardú ceiste ar a son ar maidin.

I am very happy that the Minister has been able to take the time to come to the House to take this Commencement Matter. Tigh Nan Dooley is a special school located in Carraroe, County Galway. It provides an education to pupils with special educational needs, including moderate, severe and profound general learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder. It is under the patronage of Ability West. The school received permanent recognition from the Department of Education and Skills in 2010, operates through the medium of Irish and is the only school of its type in the country. It covers the area from Barna to Inisboffin in County Galway. We are very proud of the school and it is a very important resource in the area.

I note the whole school evaluation that was done in the school recently gave it a glowing report. It said the main strengthsof the work of the school are that the school staff works in a very effective and unified manner to meet the needs of each pupil, it has a highly effective principal who works diligently to provide a holistic and relevant education for the pupils, exemplary links have been established with local national schools to promote the ongoing and progressive inclusion of pupils, where relevant, the quality of pupil management is excellent, the quality of teaching and learning in all subject areas is of a very high standard, the curriculum is differentiated effectively to address pupils' learning needs and it has a very open ethos and friendly atmosphere.

The daily whole school assemblies greatly enhance staff collegiality and the very strong relationships between teachers and pupils promote a sense of community. The report makes one recommendation on the ongoing investment in curriculum-related materials and resources being used to maximise the engagement of individual pupils. A refurbishment was done a number of years ago which was not fully completed. I understand there are currently no family or assessment rooms in the building. There is space for two classrooms in the upstairs of the building. The area has been plumbed, windows are in place and electrical work has been completed, and it has been passed for special needs assessment needs. There is an issue with a lift in terms of making the space accessible to the pupils.

It is very difficult for the staff, who are exemplary, to be able to deliver the necessary curriculum properly until the space is accessible and made available to them. When will the Department see fit to upgrade the available space and ensure that the staff can give these very special children all of the attention they need and as good a chance as possible to further their education in this very special setting?