Seanad debates

Tuesday, 21 June 2016

2:30 pm

Photo of Gabrielle McFaddenGabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am deeply concerned about the process in which school building projects are progressed through construction and the order on which they appear on the final list. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Education and Skills, or a representative on his behalf, to outline these procedures to the House? The new school building project for Coosan national school in Athlone is a matter close to my heart, as it was for my late sister, Nicky McFadden. For more than 16 years, we worked to get it on the new school construction list. It was approved, completed stage 2B and was to go to construction in 2016. However, we have been informed 66 buildings will go to construction this year but our school is not one of them. There is a school in my locality which came online only two years ago, after Coosan national school, and whose construction will start next week.

While I welcome the development, there is an unfairness in the process. I would like if there was some transparency in the process to understand how and why some projects get jumped up the list. Up to 65% of the pupils in Coosan national school are in prefabs. Vital work is required on the existing school building over the summer which will not be cost effective if it is going to come online in 2017. Will the Minister for Education and Skills explain to the House how one school, 16 years in the process, can suddenly be dropped while another school, only two years on the go, can suddenly go to construction?

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