Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Fáiltím roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State very much for taking this matter on behalf of the Minister. I raise the case of Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir in Arklow in County Wicklow. The school has 279 students. It was established in 1998. It operates now, for the most part, out of a series of prefabs dotted around a soccer pitch.

We have a school here that has been in place for more than a quarter of a century. In 2017-18, in discussions between the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, the Gaelscoil and Gaelcholaiste na Mara, the second level school in the area, agreement was finally reached to the effect that a greenfield site would be provided for these schools, something that was much needed. The school currently has 11 mainstream classes and three special classes. Planning permission in respect of the new stand-alone education campus was granted in August 2022.

Since then, nothing has happened for the school communities. My understanding is that a request was made for a revised proposal as part of the Department's decarbonisation strategy. We are not seeing -and I have been in contact with it - a sufficient level of urgency being shown by the Department with regard to getting this educational campus built. We are, therefore, already into the second year of the planning permission that was granted for five years and not seeing any progress being made on site. We should look at moving to a situation whereby a call for tenders would be issued in September.

The Minister of State knows how long it takes for a new school to be built.I visited the school and saw the condition of some of the prefabs. They are among some of the worst I have seen. There is a brilliant school community but it constantly has to repair and look for new prefabs from the Department. It is not acceptable, particularly where there has been sanction and agreement for constructing a new educational campus.

There had been a break in population growth in Arklow but due to the wastewater treatment plant being constructed in the area it has the potential to become one of the fastest-growing towns on the east coast. The school communities there need support. I have to say from the contact I have had with the Department I totally understand the school's frustration. It had been sanctioned for a school and planning permission was sought but we do not see the level of movement that is necessary. I hope that in the statement the Minister of State will issue today on behalf of the Department, we may see progress. If not, I will ask her to take it back to the Minister, Deputy Foley, and I will seek a meeting with her directly to look at the tender documents issued this autumn.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter. As I said previously, I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley. It gives me an opportunity to update the House on the position regarding the planned construction of the new school for the Gaelscoil in Kilbride, County Wicklow, which has 279 pupils and was established in 1998.

The school project is part of a campus project on a greenfield site with a Gaelcholáiste at Kilbride, County Wicklow. It has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB. The brief for Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir includes the provision of 16 classrooms, two classrooms for special education needs, a general-purpose room, a library, a multipurpose room, special education rooms, a principal's office and other ancillary accommodation. In brief, it is everything needed to run a school.

The design team has responsibility for progressing the project as expeditiously as possible through the various stages of architectural design, planning, procurement and construction. The project for Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir is currently at stage 2b of the process, which is the planning and detailed design. Departmental officials requested the design team to incorporate a decarbonisation strategy with a revised cost plan as part of the stage 2b submission. From what Senator Byrne said in his contribution, this was issued in August 2022.

Planning permission for the project was granted subject to a number of conditions, one of which was to complete an agreement in relation to wayleaves required on the site. I assume this has been completed. A legal wayleave agreement is required to facilitate access and egress arrangements to the site, as well as for access to underground services required as part of this project. Departmental officials recently facilitated a meeting with all parties, including the project design team and landowners to establish the scope and footprint of the required wayleave extension. Costings for the proposed revisions are being prepared by the design team for submission to the Department. The revised stage 2b report and costings will be examined by the Department from a technical and cost perspective, in line with the requirements of the public Infrastructure guidelines. Pending receipt and review of the stage 2b report, it is not feasible to give an indicative timeline for the project’s practical completion.

Since 2020, the Department has invested in the region of €4.8 billion in our schools throughout the country. This involved the completion of more than 800 school building projects, with construction under way at 300 other projects, which include 30 new school buildings. These 300 projects at construction involve a total investment of more than €1.2 billion. In addition to the progression of 90 projects from tender stage to construction that was announced in April as part of an €800 million investment, the Department’s planning unit is also progressing a flow of projects at stage 2b to tender stage over the course of 2024. I certainly hear Senator Byrne's call that the school he is representing is part of this. I will certainly bring this back to the Minister, Deputy Foley.

This progression of projects to tender is being done as part of the management of the overall capital programme within funding parameters and is primarily focused on priorities for additional capacity.With the sewer issues in Arklow, which is a growing commuter belt town, being addressed, this is a priority for Senator Byrne and the people he represents. The next steps for Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir will be considered when the updated stage 2 submission has been received and assessed by the Department. To be fair to the Minister, she has given the Senator clear guidance as to what needs to be done there, which is to get the costings back to the Department as soon as possible.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State very much. I do not doubt the investment in schools right across the country. However, I am aware of many other school projects which started after that relating to the Gaelscoil in question. Planning permission was obtained and the sanction was granted for the development of this project, but it has been leapfrogged by projects relating to other schools. The building work relating to those schools has either been or is in the process of being completed. Why is the process relating to this school taking too long? It is the understanding of the school and the ETB that everything is in order. I appreciate that the Minister of State is only giving the answer on behalf of the Department, but I am concerned about the line to the effect that "it is not feasible to give an indicative timeline for the project’s practical completion". That does not fill me with a great deal of confidence.

I ask that the Minister of State bring my concerns back to the Minister. I will be seeking a meeting with the Minister on this matter. I appreciate the Minister of State's help.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Acting Chair and Senator Byrne. I will certainly bring back to the Minister the Senator's request for a meeting. I have no doubt that she will facilitate him in that regard. What jumps out of the script that I just read into the record is the overreliance on the word "wayleaves". It is incumbent on the Department of Education and its planning team to knuckle down and to work with the various stakeholders to take that word off the table. On reading that, the hold-up is not just about the feasibility, it also relates to the wayleave. When one gets into the legal aspect, sometimes people somehow manage to put a full stop after absolutely everything. It is up to the Department to remove the wayleave from the equation. Hopefully, the Senator will begin to see progress at that point.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State very much for her time