Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for her very important contribution regarding this matter. Danu Community Special School was established, as she said, in September 2019 in Dublin 15. There is a large volume of work still to be done, but I think she will accept that from her initial meeting with the parents in 2018 there has been substantial progress. It was necessary progress and, as I said, there is still more to do. The Senator correctly pointed out that Danu was under the patronage of DDLETB and was originally to cater for 40 students. The school now, I understand, has an enrolment of 23 students. As the Senator said, it took the first students on 28 November 2019. The school is temporarily co-located in Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School and will relocate to its permanent location on the site of Riversdale Community College for the forthcoming school year. I know the Senator is aware of that. I am pleased to inform her that a design team has been appointed to oversee the works required to facilitate the school's occupancy of a section of the Riversdale building in phase 1 of the relevant works.It is intended that a phase 2 development will be undertaken subsequently. The Department understands that the ETB is committed to the development of both schools, now and into the future. The Riversdale site is in the ownership of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB and relocating the Danu Community Special School to the Riversdale site, first, is consistent with the public spending code in the context of maximising value for money, which also includes maximising the use of State assets. Second, it is consistent with the use of a shared educational campus, which is the preferred model of the future development of educational infrastructure, where feasible. Third, the building project is being funded under the Department's additional accommodation scheme 2021.

The Senator is aware that approval was granted only in February of this year for the refurbishment of 1,150 sq. m of existing permanent accommodation in Riversdale Community College for the benefit of Danu Community Special School. She correctly outlined the various accommodation that will be included, including six general classrooms, staffroom, principal's office, general office, meeting room, multisensory room and general purpose area. It also includes the relocation of an existing home economics room and a science laboratory, and also upgrade work to internal doors and the alarm system. It is important to note that the project is currently at stage 2A of the architectural planning process, which is the detailed design. Planning permission is not required for this either, and both the fire safety certificate and the disability access certificate have already been secured. It is anticipated by Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB that this project will advance to tender stage in the coming weeks.

I understand from the Senator's contribution that this is not ideal for the community but it is a lot of progress from where we were originally. The project was approved with a view to securing the long-term needs referred to by the Senator. I am very conscious of the constraints faced by the school in recent years. I assure the House that Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB is fully committed to providing sufficient and suitable school accommodation for Danu Community Special School. Even if a new build was to happen, it would take a number of years and, in that situation, we need to have interim accommodation. I assure the House this is being fully supported and facilitated by the Department of Education.