Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State, Deputy English, is very welcome, as ever.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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I am delighted the Minister of State is present. He is a hard-working Minister of State and a neighbour from only up the road. I am delighted to see in the Visitors Gallery a prolific author, Councillor Mattie Ryan, the man who wrote the book, Cuttin' or Atein' the Bushes. He is accompanied by a few friends from Tipperary.

The Minister of State will be well aware of the specific problem faced by Stepping Stones school, Kilcloon, County Meath, which is close to his backyard. Many representations have been made on this matter by his Oireachtas colleagues, including Deputies Thomas Byrne and Shane Cassells, and Councillor Damien O'Reilly. There was huge fanfare six months ago and great news was delivered, but nothing has followed since. The Minister of State might be able to put some flesh on the bones in regard to this and harden up some of the deadlines. I would appreciate that.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising the issue of Stepping Stones school, Kilcloon. It is a school with which we are all very familiar. It is providing a great service and great opportunity to many young people and young adults going through the system. It represents all of County Meath and even beyond that. The issue has been raised with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy McEntee, the Senator, Deputies Cassells and Thomas Byrne and others. We are all familiar with families who have great success stories and who have had a great journey through Stepping Stones school. When it first opened many years ago, it provided an opportunity for young children who might not have had the opportunity before that. It leads to positive outcomes. It is a positive school and we want to build on that.

I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, who is not available. He would like to have been here. I understand he visited the school.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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He did six months ago.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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He has an interest in it and certainly wants to try to make progress on plans, if possible.

Stepping Stones is a special school located in accommodation on a site provided by the school authority. The school currently has a principal and five teaching posts. The school caters for students ranging in age from six to 18, or young adults. The current enrolment is 30 pupils, which is consistent with enrolment numbers over the past five years.

The most recent correspondence from the school, in November 2019, requested formally the provision of a new school building. The current position relating to the school's request is that the school is not included in the Department's current building programme, set out a couple of years ago. It is not officially in that but the Minister is committed to working with the school in that regard. In the meantime, the Department approved an additional temporary mainstream classroom for the school earlier this year. I understand the school authority has begun the process of applying for planning permission for this room.

I advise the Senator and others who are listening that it is open to Stepping Stones school to apply to the Department for additional temporary accommodation to cater for its immediate accommodation needs or an emergency works grant to address any health and safety works at the school. The bottom line is that, on a temporary basis, the Department will work with the school to accommodate it and meet its needs. If it needs additional space, that can also be addressed.

With regard to the new school applied for in November, departmental officials will be in contact with the school authority to arrange a meeting early in the new year in the Department's offices in Tullamore to discuss the schools future accommodation needs and plans. There was talk of a site visit but that is probably not necessary just yet. It is more important that we get everyone sitting down together around the table in the offices in Tullamore to ascertain the exact needs and design. There are some lovely designs for special schools around the country. I am familiar with the work St. Mary's special school is doing in Navan and the design it has opted for. The Department will be interested in engaging on that. The first process is to agree on the aims and then to get the project into the capital plan. The Minister, who visited along with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, is committed to trying to help the school with its long-term plans.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the answer. As the Minister of State said, the school takes children from a wide area. There is a child in attendance who is from not too far up the road from me. I am delighted the Department is to take some temporary measures and that its officials were happy to meet to push this forward. I thank the Minister of State.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I again thank the Senator for raising this important issue.