Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad to discuss this important matter. As he knows, I am passionate about the delivery of services for my constituency. One of my top priorities is the delivery of a new school building for Rush National School. It is a matter I have continuously raised in the Seanad and one we need to keep raising and pressing the Department on because this is a project that has been in the offing for 18 years. The school leadership, under Morgan Doran, and the board of management have been pressing this. The previous principal, Margaret Dobinson, started the campaign. It has been a long and sorry history, which I will bring the Minister of State briefly through. Approval was obtained in 2010 and planning permission was granted in 2013. While it was renewed on a couple of occasions due to it expiring, it finally expired on 8 December 2024. A fresh planning application was required and this is currently in process.

It is a school of some 700 pupils. It was built in 1953 and is completely inadequate. A new 32-classroom school needs to be delivered that will also have two autism classrooms, which are really badly needed, particularly in light of the previous Commencement matter. The same demand is seen throughout north County Dublin. Rush has a big population with more than 11,000 people and is increasing rapidly. Thousands of houses are being built and delivered in north County Dublin and Rush is at the centre of that. There is huge demand on school places and autism classrooms and the principal of Rush National School, Morgan Doran, wants to deliver this school so that he can cater for the huge demand in the area. The school is not fit for purpose.

I am raising this Commencement matter to see whether we can get some information as to where the project is at. While the school wants to engage positively and collaboratively with the Department of Education, there is a complete lack of information coming from the Department with regard to the progress of this project. Given the long history I have outlined, including the lapsing of the planning permissions and the need for constant renewal of planning permissions, the lack of information coming from the Department is concerning. The school needs to be delivered. I do not want to let this matter slip from the attention of the new Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Deputy Foley, visited the school last June when she was the Minister for Education, as did the Taoiseach, when he was the Tánaiste, in November. They saw the great education the children receive in the school but also the completely inadequate facilities. The people of Rush are proud of this school and the education it has delivered for generations in Rush. They are invested in its success, but the delivery of the school building is needed.When I was out knocking on doors last November, people were telling me that when their children started school, they were told the new school would be delivered within a couple of years. Not only have those children finished in Rush National School, they have also finished in secondary school at this stage, so enough is enough. We need this school building to be delivered as soon as possible. I would really appreciate an update about where the project is and a commitment that the Department will keep engaging or start better engagement with the school and board of management.