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

I thank the Senator. I am making this statement on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, in regard to the planning and building unit of the Department of Education.It gives me an opportunity to outline what is happening with regard to Ardscoil Phádraig. I note the Senator is on the board of management of the school, as well as his comments in respect of the rich and diverse curriculum and the significant growth in the number of pupils attending the school. He stated that the number has risen to 344 from 116, which is a substantial jump.

As he may be aware, the project in question is a building project to deliver enhanced accommodation at Ardscoil Phádraig in Granard, County Longford. The Department of Education has approved the following works under the additional school accommodation, ASA, programme: five general classrooms; one music room; one multimedia room; one textiles room; and one science laboratory, including one science preparation area. As the Senator is probably aware, responsibility for delivering the project has been devolved to the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board, LWETB. It has appointed a design team to design the accommodation being provided and to bring the project through the tender and construction phases.

The design team has responsibility for progressing the project as expeditiously as possible through the stages of architectural planning. Projects progress from stage to stage in accordance with the project brief and the Department's design guidelines. The project for Ardscoil Phádraig in Granard is currently at stage 1 of the process, which is the early design stage. Stage 2 involves detailed design and statutory approval, followed by stage 3, which involves procurement of a contractor, and progression to stage 4, which is construction and completion. Stage 2b includes obtaining all statutory approvals, preparing a set of fully detailed tender documents and preparing an accurate pre-tender cost plan. At this early juncture in the Ardscoil Phádraig project, it is not feasible to give an indicative timeline for delivery. The Department will continue to engage directly with the ETB in providing assistance and advice to ensure delivery of this important project.

The Department has a strong track record of delivery through a variety of mechanisms, including design and build programme, employer-led design programmes, devolved programmes and modular accommodation programmes. Across all the Department’s programmes, there is a strong emphasis on the use of modern methods of construction, which is consistent with the Government’s overall direction of travel in this area. Between 2018 and 2023, nearly 1,000 school building projects were completed.

Through Project Ireland 2040, the Department is investing in excess of €5 billion over the period from 2021 to 2025 to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost 1 million students and more than 100,000 staff who learn and work in our schools every day. I am conscious of the strong support from the Government for investment in education, including through supplementary funding in addition to national development plan allocations. There is a strong and significant pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme, involving 300 projects at construction in 2023, including more than 40 new school buildings. These 300 projects at construction involve a total State investment of more than €1 billion.

It is of the utmost importance that the final outcome for this project at Ardscoil Phádraig will be the correct one for both the school authority and the pupils. Equally, neither the Department nor the ETB are in any doubt about the criticality of the need for this accommodation for the wider school community.

I reiterate the design team for the school has submitted a stage 1 report to the Department. This is currently under review and should be concluded shortly. Comments will then issue from my Department’s professional and technical team to the ETB and the school authorities for progression of this additional schools accommodation project.