Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. As this is my first time addressing the Minister of State in the House, I wholeheartedly congratulate her on her appointment. She is a very strong female voice in the west of Ireland and it is good to see that. I have tabled this matter on behalf of the community of Ennis that attends the Educate Together school there. Educate Together is a wonderful model of teaching young people. It is non-denominational and there is no involvement of the church or any other institution in it.It is an excellent model, the type of which we need to see going forward. Educate Together in Ennis is a particularly good school with excellent teachers. It has an excellent autism class with young autistic students who are doing exceptionally well. It is a small but an effective school.

The problem, however, is that the school needs a new building. It currently operates in prefabs and bits of extensions. The Department of Education has provided several new schools in Ennis and across County Clare in recent years. I welcome the amalgamated secondary school in Ennistymon, my own home town, which is making significant advancement. This particular national school in Ennis badly needs a new building.

Where are we at with this project? Are we in a position to significantly advance it? What type of a timeframe are we looking at?

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. She has provided a comprehensive reply which will address the concerns of the parents and children of the school in question eloquently raised by the Senator.

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. It uses a geographical information system which employs data from a range of sources to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. Where data indicate that additional provision is required at primary or post-primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case. It also may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through one or a combination of the following options, namely, utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools or the provision of a new school.

As a result of analyses, it has been determined that a new school building will be required for Ennis Educate Together National School. Under Project Ireland 2040, the Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector in order to meet demographic and other demands. The capital programme details the school projects being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including projects in County Clare, may be viewed on the Department's website, www.education.ie, and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

The capital programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified. Details of schools listed on this programme can be found on the Department's aforementioned website. The Ennis Educate Together primary school has an enrolment of 35 boys and 29 girls. The school is operating on a Clare County Council-owned site at Gort Road, Ennis, in temporary accommodation. It has been determined that a new school building will be required in order to cater for the permanent accommodation needs of the school. To this end, a site acquisition process is under way in order to acquire a site suitable for the school's needs. A new site will be required for the subject school and the Department is at an advanced stage in the process of acquiring a suitable site for the new school building. This site acquisition process has been progressed in respect of the requirement in question and in line with standard acquisition protocols. The Department is liaising closely with Clare County Council under the memorandum of understanding between the Department and local authorities for the acquisition of school sites with a view to securing a suitable site for this school.The Department has engaged the services of a site acquisition consultant to assist in technical matters in this analysis. Arising from this exercise, the Department has identified a preferred site and is working with Clare County Council to bring this process forward to the legal conveyancing stage. The Senator will appreciate the commercial sensitivities attached to a site acquisition such as this and given that negotiations are at a critical point, the Minister, Deputy Foley, is not currently in a position to disclose further information. Should agreement on the proposed acquisition be reached, the process will advance to the aforementioned legal conveyancing stage, when draft contracts are prepared and legal due diligence is undertaken in respect of the proposed transaction. It would be expected at that stage that the project to deliver new school accommodation can simultaneously progress to architectural planning. I assure the Senator that the school authorities will be kept apprised of the situation and will be informed of the permanent location for the school as soon as possible.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome this update about the future of the Educate Together school in Ennis. It is comprehensive. It is accepted by all parties that a school is needed. I welcome the fact that negotiations and the necessary work to acquire a site are at an advanced, critical stage. I understand that there are commercial sensitivities but I think that, on the record of the House today, we have it confirmed that we are at an advanced stage. Councillor Ann Norton, who is chair of the board of management, will welcome that, as will David Quinn, who is the principal of Educate Together in Ennis. Most importantly, it will be welcomed by the parents of the pupils who are attending the Educate Together school in Ennis. The Minister of State might come back to the House and update us in due course, when there are further developments and more details available.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will. I will pass on the Senator's acknowledgements to the Minister, Deputy Foley.