Lorraine Higgins (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, to the Seanad and thank him for taking this matter. The issue concerns the immediate acquisition of a permanent site for Gaelscoil Riabhach in Loughrea, County Galway. Gaelscoil Riabhach is a multi-faith school which is being used as a model for the new Irish medium schools that are interested in developing a multidenominational ethos, an ethos encouraged by the Department of Education and Skills. The school is in its 14th year and has a student population of 180, a number that is increasing year on year.

The board of management and the principal are concerned regarding the process of acquiring a permanent site, which has taken much longer than expected. I am aware the school is included in the Department's five-year building plan and that a suitable site for a new school has been identified. However, now that talks regarding the cost of this site are in progress, the acquisition process seems to have stalled somewhat. Due to the lack of a permanent site, the school has been forced to install further temporary accommodation, thus costing the Department up to €140,000 per annum. Given the growing student population and the school's current lack of space, these costs will increase every year until the school can relocate to a permanent site.

Will the Minister of State outline the progress that is being made on the acquisition of the site for the construction of a new primary school for Gaelscoil Riabhach? In addition, will he indicate a timeframe for the delivery of a new school. The principal, board of management, students and parents would welcome this information. The greatest support the Government could provide to the school would be the immediate acquisition of the site and to ensure it is expedited so that the growing number of students attending the school will not be forced to inhabit accommodation that is not fit for purpose.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Higgins for raising this matter on the Adjournment, a matter close to my heart since it has to do with a Gaelscoil. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, who is unavoidably absent.

This debate affords us an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the process being utilised to ensure there will be adequate accommodation in schools at primary and post-primary level in all parts of the country. The forward planning section of the Department of Education and Skills has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. School accommodation requirements throughout the county have been considered as part of this detailed study and the Department is considering options to meet the deficit of accommodation identified in areas of particular need as a top priority.

In regard to the specific query referred to by the Senator regarding Gaelscoil Riabhach, Loughrea, County Galway, I can confirm that the school authority has submitted an application for large-scale capital funding for the provision of a new school building. This is to replace the current rented temporary accommodation occupied by the school in Loughrea. The school has been in temporary accommodation since its establishment. However, I am pleased to confirm that the school has been awarded permanent recognition by the Department of Education and Skills since the commencement of the current school year and that a project for the provision of permanent accommodation is being progressed. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects and it has been determined that a new school building on a new site is required to meet the school's accommodation requirements. This new building will contain eight mainstream classrooms, a general purpose room and a suite of other ancillary accommodation appropriate to a school of this size.

The progression of the proposed building project is subject to the acquisition of a suitable site and in this regard I can confirm that the Department has been working very closely with Galway County Council for some time now to identify and acquire a site for a new school building for Gaelscoil Riabhach. I am pleased to be in a position to confirm to the Senator that a suitable site has been identified and that negotiations are continuing with the relevant landowner with a view to concluding a deal. However, as the Senator will understand, given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally and negotiations regarding particular sites, I am not in a position to comment further on the current state of these negotiations.

The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design through to construction phase will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme and the available financial resources. However, until the negotiations with the landowner in question have reached a successful conclusion, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project through the design stages and on to tender and construction. Information in respect of the current school building programme, along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including the project for Gaelscoil Riabhach, is available on the Department's website at education.ie.
I thank the Senator again for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding Gaelscoil Riabhach, Loughrea, County Galway.

Lorraine Higgins (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response, but I am a little disappointed with it because I have not received any further information regarding the progress of the project. The principal, the parents, the students and the board of management are in limbo as a result of the project being stuck where it has been for some time. We need a firm commitment from the Department that it will expedite the negotiations with the landowner and Galway County Council, for the benefit of the students attending the school and the growing population. Currently there are 180 students enrolled in the school and the trend is upward. This is a project that needs to be expedited and I appeal to the Department and its Ministers to do so. I appreciate this project is not within the remit of the Minister of State, but I would appreciate it if he carried this message back to the Department.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Senator's commitment to this project. I know from dealing with Gaelscoileanna in my constituency and in other parts of the country the commitment and dedication of parents, teachers and boards of management of Gaelscoileanna. For someone interested in the Irish language, which we all are, the thousands of young children attending these schools and leaving them as fluent Irish speakers give us more hope than anything else that the language will live. I am sure the Senator will agree that progress is being made on this. Permanent recognition has been given to the school and negotiations are advancing for the purchase of a site. These things progress a step at a time. I will convey the Senator's interest in the project to the Minister.