Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I seek an update from the Minister for Education on a date for the awarding of the tender for the construction of a new building for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, which is currently located in temporary facilities on Parnell Square East. Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire is an amazing small school, right in the heart of Dublin Central. It is at the top of O'Connell Street, just across the road from the Gate Hotel. It has been in that temporary accommodation for far too long, at nearly two decades and an eye-watering cost of more than €250,000 a year. None of us are getting any younger. I feel like I am getting very old with this story. Since I was first elected, I have supported Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire. As a city councillor, I supported the transfer of land on Dominick Street to allow for the building of a new school.

Initially, it was conceived as an eight-classroom school. Due to the demand for the school, which is a wonderful, small, friendly, co-educational Gaelscoil, with a positive, healthy, inclusive environment, it has been upgraded to a 16-classroom school. After the Government was formed, the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, made herself available to meet the school, both virtually during Covid and also in visits to the school. She is the first Minister for Education to visit the school despite the fact that this school is only a stone's throw from the Department of Education. It is right in the heart of our capital city and has been in temporary accommodation for almost two decades.

The school building went to tender, thanks again to the support from the Minister. Those tenders were responded to and submitted. I understand that after the tenders were submitted, the successful tender was selected and has been sent to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. My heart sank when I heard that the project is now on hold. It is on hold in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and it is a spending issue.

Spending and costs come in many different forms. There is the cost of a lack of quality of life and a loss of education. There is the cost of a loss of vibrancy in our core city centre. There is a cost to the children, the teachers and the parents. To give the Minister a perspective, the principal of the school attended the school as a pupil. It should be kept in mind that it is a primary school. He went on to secondary school and to university. He has now returned as the principal and he has been the principal for a number of years. The Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform has a job to do, which I respect. It has to look after and ensure that all public spending is done appropriately but it needs to examine the cost of the delays that its public procurement process causes, including the cost of construction inflation, the cost of a loss of educational opportunity and the cost of a loss of regeneration of our inner city. I hope the Minister of State has come to the House with a positive update and a date for the awarding of the tender for the construction of a new school on Dominick Street and a commencement date for the construction.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position on the major building project for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Dominick Street, Dublin 1.I know that Senator Fitzpatrick has done Trojan work on schools and young people in the area and I was delighted to meet with Senator Fitzpatrick at the north inner city youth diversion project recently. Her constant commitment to young people is very much welcome.

I also know that the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is also committed to schools within this area, as he is to young people, including youth diversion projects, and I thank him for his ongoing commitment. I know this school is a priority for both the Senator and the Minister. The major building project for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire is included in the Department's construction programme which is being delivered under the national development plan. The brief is to provide for the construction of a 16-classroom primary school, ancillary rooms, library, resource room and a general-purpose hall with basement on a brownfield site at Dominick Street, Dublin 1.

The design team stage 2(b) confirmations and the completion of the prequalification process were completed on 23 September 2022 and the project commenced the tender stage. Tenders were returned on 16 January 2023 and a tender report was received by the Department in February 2023 and is currently under review.

A tender stage normally takes between eight and 12 months to complete. The design team estimated a 24-month construction period. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. I appreciate that this is not the Department of the Minister of State and I appreciate the work that he does in the Department of Justice. The Minister of State is correct in that I am a founding director of youth services and the justice youth diversion programme. I appreciate the support that the Minister of State and his Department is giving to the work of educators, youth service providers and youth workers not just in my own constituency of Dublin Central but right across the country.

I must say to the Minister of State that I am deeply disappointed with this reply which fails to answer the question and completely fails to deal with the fundamental issue that despite the fact that this project has been in process for two decades, and that there are tenders there which can be immediately activated to commence construction, this reply basically says that the tender process will take eight to 12 months and that there will be a 24-month construction period. It is insulting to the people of Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, of Dublin Central and of the north inner city that the Government and the Department would give this type of a reply. We want a meaningful reply and do not want to hear Ministers talking about the regeneration of the north inner city when there is a proposal on their desks which could be awarded immediately for a tender to commence construction for a new 16-classroom school which would deal with both the educational and social regeneration of the north inner city.

I need the Minister of State to go back to Government and to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to ask them to take this project off hold and to immediately release an approval so that the construction can commence. Gabhaim buíochas.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and Senator Fitzpatrick for her raising of this very important issue around Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire. The Department of Education’s published national development plan allocation for 2023 is €860 million. High construction inflation remains a continuing feature of the construction sector for 2023. As part of its planning ahead for 2023, the Department is assessing its work programme and priorities in the context of its available funding. It is also engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in respect of capital funding pressures, in order to continue to be able to adequately support the operation of the school system with the roll-out of school building projects to tender and construction in 2023, and to minimise project delays to the greatest extent possible.

The Department of Education is very conscious of the need to support the operation of the school system and has provided clarity for individual schools about the school building projects. I am aware that Senator Fitzpatrick was absolutely determined to get this school building across the line but I know that the Ministers, Deputies Foley and Donohoe, are also committed to prioritising essential school projects, such as this particular one, Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, for the Dublin inner city area.