Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Lombard for raising this very important issue. It is an issue I am familiar with as a Dáil Member.I have seen these prefabricated buildings. If they are old, they are too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter while school authorities experience many problems with leaking roofs, etc. They cause many problems. The Minister for Education and Skills rang me last night and asked me to take the debate on his behalf as he has urgent business to attend to this morning. I will convey sentiments and issues raised by the Senator to him. I asked him on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills to clarify the position in respect of the development of permanent accommodation for Gaelscoil Cionn tSáile, Kinsale. The Gaelscoil is a primary co-educational all-Irish school. It is currently located in temporary accommodation and a project to provide for a new permanent school building is included in the Department’s six-year capital programme.

Officials in the Department have engaged with Cork County Council officials under the memorandum of understanding for the acquisition of schools sites with a view to identifying and acquiring a suitable site to accommodate a permanent school building for Gaelscoil Chionn tSáile. Under the memorandum, local authorities assist the Department with the process of identifying and acquiring sites for the development of school accommodation. The first step in this process is the identification of suitable sites by the local authority. The identified sites are then technically assessed on a joint basis by officials from the local authority and the Department’s professional and technical staff. The Senator will appreciate the importance of a thorough appraisal of site options at this point to ensure the achievement of value for money and to minimise the potential of any issues arising during the planning and development stages.

In the case of Gaelscoil Chionn tSáile, further to assessment of options, the Department identified a potentially suitable site and made offers to acquire land for the school as far back as 2016. However an acquisition was not achieved at that time because after lengthy negotiations, ultimately agreement was not reached. That happens from time to time, particularly given the price of land. Matters have progressed in the meantime. The site on which the school is currently located in temporary accommodation was zoned for community-educational use in the Bandon-Kinsale municipal district local area plan adopted in August 2017. Specific reference was made within the local area plan to the fact that the Gaelscoil is currently operating in a prefabricated building and is in need of a purpose-built unit. The local area plan further states: "The site at Cappagh is zoned for educational use and allows for expansion at this facility."

Cork County Council, on behalf of the Department, is currently engaging with the landowner to progress matters. The Department's objective is to acquire a suitable site for the school as quickly as possible and it is working in conjunction with the council to meet that objective. It is difficult to indicate a timeline for the completion of the acquisition of a site for the school, as it is dependent on the outcome of current negotiations and on the complexity of the conveyancing process. However, I assure the Senator that the acquisition of a site for this school is a priority for the Department and officials are working to progress matters as quickly as possible. Once a site has been acquired, the project can progress to architectural planning. The Minister has taken a special interest in this case because the Senator has met him on a number of occasions and constantly reminds him of the urgent need for the school. I will convey his sincere concerns about the school to the Minister. I know what it is like for students to be housed in outdated accommodated that needs to be upgraded. Officials have been in contact with the school authorities to arrange a meeting with a view to updating the school on the progress with regard to the site acquisition.