Neale Richmond (Fine Gael)
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I apologise for having to slip outside for a moment. I am out of breath after sprinting down to the Chamber. First and foremost, I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I am genuinely thrilled for him. It is much deserved. As a former teacher, he has a long history in this sector so I am excited about what he will bring to the role.

This might be the first time the Minister is dealing with the issue before us but he is the fourth Minister or Minister of State with whom I have raised it. Unfortunately, progress has been slow. Going through the planning process has been an eight-year campaign. Just last week, the most recent planning application was refused. It was the third such application. At this stage, the level of frustration, anger and disappointment among the school-going community in Ballinteer is the highest I have ever seen. The fact that there seem to have been no pre-planning meetings between the Department and the county council is extremely disappointing and worrying. We assumed that when this most recent application was submitted, this would, after such a delay, finally be it and that we would see the permanent school opening on the identified site off Wyckham Way. This is vitally important to the local community. There is massive development taking place in the area and there has been a dramatic growth in population. This primary school needs to open in a permanent building. It will not be needed for the first time in six or 12 months; it was needed years ago.

I do not know where we stand in respect of this matter. A meeting is due to be held in the school next week. I am sure the Minister's office has been inundated with countless parliamentary questions.I am genuinely happy that the Minister is taking this vitally important Commencement matter at such short notice. I am appealing to him and to his officials because something needs to be done. The plans for the school are sound. The planning issue that exists is very small. The Department of Education and Skills needs to intervene and to work proactively with the local authority to get this school project through. There are children in this school who will never be taught in the new school building. They have spent five or six years in prefabricated classrooms and they are now in a temporary school location in Churchtown, which is nowhere near Ballinteer. It might look quite close on a map, but the two population centres are nowhere near each other. This is possibly the most pressing education issue in my local area.

I welcome the Minister to this job. I thank him for being here for this debate. On behalf of the people of Ballinteer Educate Together national school, I ask him to make it a priority to get this project through.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Ní raibh an Seanadóir ró-mhall. Bhí sé ceart go leor. I thank him for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the provision of a permanent school building for Ballinteer Educate Together national school, which is a co-educational school under the patronage of Educate Together.

The brief for the project we are discussing is the provision of a new 16-classroom school and a two-classroom special needs unit, together with all ancillary accommodation, on the St. Tiernan's Community School site at Parkvale, Balally, Dublin 16. This project, which is included in the six-year capital programme of the Department of Education and Skills to proceed to tender and construction in 2018, was assigned to the Department's rapid design and build delivery programme in March 2018. Architectural planning commenced immediately. An application for planning permission was lodged with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in September 2018 following a pre-planning meeting with the council.

A notification of decision to refuse permission was received by the Department's consultants on 2 November 2018. A copy of this notification was received by officials in the Department yesterday afternoon. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council outlined two reasons for its decision to refuse planning. First, the proposed exit-only link onto Wyckham Way, which is a heavily trafficked distributor road, would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard or obstruction of road users and the proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area. Second, the proposal to utilise the existing access to St. Tiernan's Community School through Parkvale to serve an additional 16-classroom school is not acceptable on the grounds of the impact on the residential amenity of existing Parkvale residents. The proposed development would be seriously injurious to the residential amenity of Parkvale and would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The remarks I have made in reply to the Senator are obviously in the public arena. They arise from the decision that has been made by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Officials from the Department of Education and Skills will now review this decision. I appreciate the disappointment of those who have been campaigning on this issue for eight years. I assure the Senator that having reviewed this disappointing decision, the Department will consult its advisers and technical team to decide how best to make progress with this project. The possibility of an appeal to An Bord Pleanála will be considered in that context.

Neale Richmond (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response and for his interest in Ballinteer Educate Together national school. I cannot over-emphasise that this was the third application to be made in respect of this project. This has been going on for eight years. There are children who will go through their entire primary school cycle without ever seeing the inside of the proposed permanent building. There are teachers who are preparing to retire who will not get to teach in the proposed permanent building.

The two issues that were flagged in the local authority's recent planning decision are not new. The issue of access to Parkvale has been going on for the entire 40-year history of the neighbouring secondary school. There was a lengthy public campaign against allowing access to Parkvale. Similarly, the issue of access to Wyckham Avenue is not a new one.

I appreciate the Minister's commitment to reviewing the local authority's response and to considering the possibility of an appeal. While I welcome that, something more is required. I ask the Minister to organise a meeting at the highest possible level between the CEO of the local authority and the school principal to see whether we can get this over the line. It is no longer sufficient to rely on appeals and reviews.Serious action is required. The Minister must take the matter in hand and deliver this school.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I reiterate my disappointment at the delay. A school community does not just arrive but, rather, results from a campaign involving many people who have expectations and hopes for the project. When a roadblock is encountered, it can be very difficult. I will ensure that there is contact between my officials and the chief executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Drawing on his days on that council, the Senator will have suggestions and opinions that might help to move this matter forward. Obviously, the decision on whether to take the matter to An Bord Pleanála is under consideration.