Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)

Bunaíodh Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré in 1996. Is í an t-aon Ghaelscoil i gContae Shligigh. Tá an scoil ag feidhmiú ó 1998 ó chlubtheach CLG Naomh Muire agus i deich seomra réamhdéanta atá ag dul in aois. Tá na háiseanna thar a bheith bunúsach agus faoi chaighdeán, níl halla tionóil ann, agus tá costais ard fhuinnimh á n-íoc ag an scoil.

In 2006, the Department initiated site acquisition via OPW offices for a site to be purchased for a new Gaelscoil in Sligo. In 2009, at the school initiative, nearby land was zoned for community use. In 2020, following Sligo County Council endeavours, the Department acquired a four-acre site. This site is fully supported by planning, roads, heritage and Irish Water as suitable for a school. In May 2022, the Department appointed a consultant project manager to drive the design team in this. On 14 June, an architect design team was to be appointed, which was 13 months after the project manager's engagement, which was all very positive. This is under the Adapt 3 programme requirement which is intended to expedite the delivery of schools in leased accommodation. The whole point of this Adapt programme is accelerated delivery of architectural planning and tendering. The actual project at the moment is at stage 2A. After going through all these processes, it should be well up on stage 2A at this point.

There are soundings of the children's hospital at this stage because the performance periods and contract have been routinely breached without consequences. There has been no revised programme communicated. The Department never received a programme about the school. It was only achieved through a freedom of information request. The school has reported poor communication, withheld information and a lack of structural engagement between the school management and the Department of education. The Department is paying €181,000 annually in leased prefab accommodation. The school is forced to seek increased voluntary contributions to avoid closure, and it is the only Gaelscoil in Sligo. The population of Sligo is growing. Taxpayers' money is being wasted through prolonged consultant engagement and delivery.

The príomhoide is set to retire. He has been working on this and has been principal of that school for generations and he is set to retire. He thought he would be moved in a long time ago. The site is there; the planning is there. The concerns we have, and this has been raised, is the failure to uphold the Adapt 3 policy despite its incorporation into contract documents. It has been approved. There is a lack of programme discipline and there is an absence of departmental oversight. Despite having a suitable site, clear planning support, dedicated local authority efforts - the county council is fully onboard with this - and a detailed set of contractual programme requirements, the project to deliver a permanent building for Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré has stalled entirely. Níl sé sin ceart. Níl sé cothrom go gcaithfidh an scoil chomh fada leis seo ar fhreagra. Ní mór dúinn rud éigin a dhéanamh faoi seo. Níl a fhios againn cad atá á dhéanamh anois.