Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of Summercove National School. The Minister of State is very much aware that Summercove is a school in Kinsale that needs a little extra attention to make sure it reaches its full potential regarding a new building. This is an issue on which Councillor Marie O'Sullivan and I have been working for a long time to make sure we could deliver this new building. There has been significant movement in school complexes in Kinsale over the past few years. Last Friday morning, I attended the ten-year anniversary of Scoil Naomh Eltin's opening, I was at the gaelscoil, which is moving forward, and there is movement in St. Multose National School. There has been significant movement in Ballinspittle, Rennies, Belgooly and Kilbrittain national schools over the past few years. Summercove National School now needs support. It has been looking for movement for decades; there was an issue about a site for a long time, there was a previous planning application that did not quite work out, not to go around the circles again. Now, the site issue has been sorted. The site has been purchased, subject to planning permission. It is a new site and a new build literally across the road from where the school is at the moment. Kinsale is a thriving town. According to the census figures, it went up 13.5% in the last census, which is significant growth. Kinsale is bordering nearly 6,000 people; it is the second-biggest town in south west Cork. The good work at the school needs progress regarding the school itself. I compliment the principal, Louise Hallissey and her staff of 18. There are three special education teachers, five assistants and the secretaries - two wonderful ladies who run the school. There are also 217 pupils. These boys and girls want movement on this important project. I raised this issue previously in the Oireachtas in October 2021 and I got the indication that it was moving forward, the site had been purchased and was going to planning permission stage. We now need more movement in that regard. I am aware that these things take time and there are six parts to the planning process to build a school. I am concerned that we could be waiting another three or four years for the school to be built on-site.

Will the Minister of State explain where we are in the process at the moment, planning permission and a timeline of when it can move forward and boots will be on the ground for this project, which is important for the people of Kinsale? I compliment the amount of work done by the local parish priest and the entire community. They have been proactive. I know they met with the former Minister of State, Jim Daly, on this matter. He met the Minister at that time, Deputy Joe McHugh, to push this project forward. It is now about trying to push it forward another bit to see movement on the ground.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for submitting this Commencement matter and giving me the opportunity to update the House on the progress of the new building for Summercove National School in the beautiful town of Kinsale. One does not need to rely on Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures; one can see the sheer activity around Kinsale. We know the population has gone up but the future population will grow exponentially. Anyone who has spent time travelling to that part of the country will have seen the rate of development in new housing developments and renovations. When the Senator brought me there just before Easter weekend in April with Councillor Marie O'Sullivan, we discussed many issues relevant to business. A key issue mentioned by many business owners was that when bringing jobs and attracting business to the town, we have to make sure there are schools for the children of the people we want to attract to this amazing town. Central to that is the development of a new school for Summercove National School.

As the Senator will be aware, the brief for this project is the development of a single-storey, eight-classroom primary school with two classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, SEN. The school recently requested a review of its long-term accommodation requirements. The Department has completed this review and is satisfied that the accommodation to be provided for eight mainstream classrooms and two SEN classrooms will cater for the long-term needs of the school and the wider Kinsale area. The major building project for the national school will be delivered under the Department's accelerated delivery of architectural planning and tendering, ADAPT, programme. The programme uses a professional external project manager to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best-possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction. The tender process to appoint a project manager was completed in the first quarter of this year. The tender process to appoint the design team to progress the project for Summercove National School was completed in the second quarter of 2023. The design team is currently at an early stage of architectural planning - stage one, preliminary design - in which the design team carries out an assessment of the site and location and prepares initial sketch schemes. On receipt and review of the stage one report, the end of stage one stakeholders' meeting will be arranged by the project manager, to include representatives from the school, the design team and departmental officials. The Senator asked for an update on progress; progress has been made but I am sure the Senator shares my desire to see that progress continued and sped up, where possible.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I acknowledge that there has been progress since I last put down the Commencement matter, which is helpful. It is a positive statement for the principal, the chair of the board of management and the 217 kids going to the school. We now need timelines. Perhaps the Minister of State could go back to the Department and give an indication of the timeline and when, where and how this will be delivered on the ground. It is important that the design team carries out this assessment on the site. I assume that is now moving towards planning permission stage and will then go through the other phases. If we got an indication from the Department, in due course, regarding the timeline and when this project could be finished, it would be helpful to the entire community of Kinsale. I thank the Chair.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Department and project manager will keep school authorities and all relevant bodies informed of further development regarding the completion of stage one and the progression of the major building project. Until the project is at a point at which all statutory approvals have been granted, however, it is not possible to provide an update on the expected on-site date. I will undertake to liaise with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy Madigan, in this regard. I encourage the Senator to write to them directly, as I am sure he has. We will make sure to keep the entire community of Kinsale - the church and school communities, parents, prospective parents, businesses and local representatives like the Senator and Councillor O'Sullivan updated as clearly as possible and that there is a collective effort to drive this as quickly as possible. I am sure we will deliver that.