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

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir for advocating for the people and students of Ballincollig and those who wish to send their children to a multidenominational school to be educated as Gaeilge.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who could not attend. I will try to outline where the process lies and where there might be opportunities to engage and make the points the Senator has already made. As he said, Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is a multidenominational school under the patronage of An Fóras Pátrúnachta. Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is currently located in interim modular accommodation on the Ballincollig Rugby Football Club's grounds. I am informed that the school has sufficient accommodation at this location, pending the delivery of permanent accommodation. Considering the demand the Senator outlined, that information might be disputed.

The project will be delivered under the Department of Education and Youth’s ADAPT 4 programme, entitled "Programme Innovate". This programme will be led by integrated project teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects. The Department has appointed a programme manager to oversee the programme, including the procurement and appointment of the integrated project teams. The IPT procurement process for phase 1, Programme Innovate, which includes the major project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, is almost fully concluded. Upon appointment, the integrated project team began the initial stage of architectural planning. Stage 1 is when a site and current building assessment is carried out and initial design sketch schemes are created. Currently, the programme manager and the IPT anticipate that the stage 1 submission will be available to the Department for review at the end of quarter 4 of 2025.At that stage, a stakeholders meeting will be scheduled for early quarter 1 2026. I hope that will be an opportunity where stakeholders, including parents, teachers and principals, can underline the need for more classrooms and teachers as the Senator outlined.

The brief for the project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is the delivery of a new eight-classroom primary school. The school will be part of a shared educational campus in Ballincollig, County Cork. This campus will also include a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school. The overall master planning of the campus site will include a potential phase 2 for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin to expand to an overall 16-classroom plus four SEN classes primary school. Upon receipt of all statutory approvals, including planning permission, the Department will review and advise the patron and school authorities as to whether phase 2 will be included as part of the current project. As this campus project is at the initial stage of architectural planning, it is not possible to provide a timeframe for construction currently. School stakeholders will be updated by the programme manager and the Department during the stages of architectural planning.

That outlines the process, plan and pathway for getting from design to delivery. There is an opportunity in the meeting with stakeholders. The Senator made a concrete point - the demand is there. We all know Ballincollig has a growing population. Why wait until a second stage to progress to the 16 classrooms? It makes more sense to deliver a project in full in the first effort.