Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This matter concerns the need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the next step for the construction of a new state-of-the-art school building for Mungret community college, Mungret, County Limerick. Mungret community college was established in August 2017 as a new school for the Mungret, Raheen and Dooradoyle areas. It is under the principalship of Liam O'Mahoney, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is its patron and, the CEO is George O'Callaghan and the chair of the school board is Councillor Daniel Butler. It has proven to be an extremely successful school. In its first year, it had an intake of 96 students. In its second year, it will take in 120 students, which demonstrates substantial demand for the school in the area. The Mungret, Raheen and Dooradoyle areas are projected to have a combined population of approximately 22,000 by 2022, which is less than five years away. A large plan is under way for Mungret Park, which is a development by Limerick City and County Council.

A commitment has been given to build a new school, initially to accommodate 600 pupils. I have had discussions with the Department and the Minister about increasing the size to accommodate a larger number of students, hopefully 800, and devolving the project to Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board to ensure the school is built as quickly as possible.I want to raise the current state of play in terms of the project being devolved to Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board to allow the building of the school to get under way. It is being increased to an 800-pupil school on the basis of 120 students being taken in per year. The school recently secured planning permission for an additional six modular buildings to create eight additional classrooms. The site for Mungret community college school is a greenfield site of 10 acres on the Mungret Park grounds. Everyone involved - the parents, principal, board of management and education and training board - wants this school to be built. Everyone is ready to get the process under way. The key element is for the Department to put the service level agreement in place to allow the project to be devolved in order that Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board can get the process of appointing design team under way. The parents of students at the community college and pupils coming out of primary schools in the area, for example, St. Nessan's and St. Paul's national schools, Gaelscoil an Ráithín and Mungret Educate Together, are keen to see work on this state-of-the-art school building commence. They deserve no less.