Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. Similar to the previous answer, this was sanctioned in February 2021. Three and a half years later, we get an answer that "at this early stage and particularly in advance of the necessary statutory approvals, it is not possible to provide a reliable date for when this school building project will be completed". I do not think it is acceptable three and half years later to be told it is at an early stage. Do we need to further resource the school building unit in the Department of Education? I think we do. Every Member here has schools that are sitting in the system. After three and a half years, it is at an early stage. What is the projected final stage of this? Why is it not progressing further in the system? It is not acceptable. We needed extra school classrooms in February 2021. An application went in and was sanctioned because there was a need there. Two lots of children will have gone through the five or six years of the school system before this is built. If it was needed in February 2021 it should be delivered by now, three and a half years later. It is not at an early stage. It is not acceptable. I ask the Minister of State to pass that on to the Department of Education. We need to look at the resourcing of the school building unit. Why is it taking so long for school building projects to come through the system? Is it a case that they are waiting and hoping that some will not need extra classrooms when it comes to it? We need to further resource that unit and give definitive timelines to the students. My son started last week. In six years he will probably not see that extra classroom. It is not acceptable for any child.