Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Minister of State is taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Education but the Department has responsibility to the families in that school and the people of Ballinasloe. It said itself that is the most significant project the town needs. I do not see the urgency. I would like the Minister of State to ask the Department what resources are being allocated to this. What other projects are on the design team's plate? Where is the priority being given to this project for Ballinasloe that is to cater for children from counties all around? It is not good enough. It is words; where is the action?

I am frustrated because it has been non-stop. We did this in 2021 and we got the approval in 2023, yet here we are a year later. When is a budget going to be allocated to this project? When will we have it from the design team? I want to ask about communication because there are issues here around this. We need improved communication between the Department, the design team and the stakeholders. I ask the Minister of State to please take this message back. I want to know when that meeting is and when that design team will submit the tenders for the Department of Education's consideration.