Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this issue. The way he describes Mountainside Montessori school sounds incredible. It sounds inclusive and open and is exactly the type of model we should have for our Montessori schools. There is clearly an urgency because September is looming and there needs to be a solution in place. I am not sure if my answer will provide much satisfaction in terms of the use of the prefabs, but I will bring it back to the Minister to try to find some solution.

This matter allows me an opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position with regard to the school building project for Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School. The school building project for Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including six classrooms for children with special educational needs. The project is being delivered in two phases. Phase 1 of the project, delivered under the Department’s design and build programme, was completed in April 2024. The phase 1 project delivered accommodation for approximately 680 pupils and accommodation, including four classrooms for children with special educational needs and a PE hall. The phase 2 project is being delivered under the Department's employer-led design programme, which uses a professional external project manager to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction. Phase 2 will deliver the balance of the accommodation for approximately 320 pupils and accommodation, including two classrooms for children with special educational needs plus external classes. The phase 2 project for Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School is currently at tender stage with tenders returned on 2 May 2025. Tenders are currently being evaluated by the project manager and design team and a tender assessment report will be prepared for the Department's consideration. Projects are subject to relevant due diligence at each stage of the process, within the context of overall programme and budgetary parameters.

Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School is currently accommodated in its new phase 1 school building as well as in interim accommodation located on the permanent school site in Leopardstown. A review of the accommodation on site was undertaken by the design team to determine how the school’s accommodation needs will be managed up to and during construction of the phase 2 project. The modular units installed on site between 2020 and 2022 were to accommodate the school pending delivery of its new permanent school building. Now that the accommodation review is complete, some of the rental accommodation has been scheduled for removal in the coming weeks, with the remainder of the rental accommodation retained on site for use by the school pending delivery of the phase 2 project. The contract for the rental of the modular accommodation is between the Department and the contractor and there are no plans to enter into any third-party arrangements with regard to that contract.

The programme for Government commits to expanding the provision of after-school and childcare in school buildings and campuses, in tandem with the school building programme, to provide better access for parents and communities. The Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes where this is feasible, including the provision of early learning and childcare services. The procedures are available for each school to refer to for guidance. Given the complexities of delivering the phase 2 school building project with a live school on site, it is unlikely that a move by Mountainside Montessori to the Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School site could be facilitated, and Mountainside Montessori should consider all options available to it.

That is absolutely not the answer the Senator was looking for. I get the complexities that exist where there is a live school on site and the use of those modular buildings there at the moment. On the other hand, the suggestion makes sense for many reasons, as these modular rooms are on site and phase 2 of the Educate Together school is going ahead. I will go back to the Minister to see if there is any innovative way in which the Montessori school can be accommodated. It is probably not good enough to go back to say it has to discuss options. We have to collaborate on this to ensure those parents who are sending children to the Montessori school have a solution before September.