Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. My Commencement matter is in respect of a school building project at Ardscoil Phádraig in Granard, County Longford. It is a coeducational ETB school based in Granard just ten minutes away from where I live. There are 370 pupils on the enrolment across the six years, which has grown since 2017-2018, when there were 253. It is at a maximum and has a waiting list for kids looking to attend. It has DEIS status and, similar to St. Brogan's College, it was actually the first post-primary school in Longford to have an ASD class. That was back in 2009. In 2018, a full, modern, purpose-built class catering for 18 students was built. It is a model of special education, not just for Longford but for the entire country.

The school was sanctioned for a nine-classroom extension in February 2021, three and a half years ago. Temporary prefabs are in place currently. As I stated, the school is at a maximum. It is on a very confined site and has a limited amount of outdoor space for the kids. My own son started in first year a few weeks ago. I am delighted that he is getting on well. I have been on the board of the school since 2009, when I was first elected to local politics, so I know the way the school works and how they look after their students. Every student in that school gets every opportunity possible that they wish, be it sporting or academic. The school provides a rich and diverse curriculum that caters for the needs of each student and offers a vast range of educational experiences that will challenge each student. It is committed to the development of the students and there is a strong emphasis on the personal and social development of those youngsters, catered to by an extensive range of extracurricular activities such as art, culture and sports. All students are actively encouraged to participate.

The school recently received funding under path 4, a significant multi-million euro investment into upgrading and retrofitting the entire old part of the school. The facts are there is still a shortage of classroom facilities for the students at present. We want to know when we are going to get our science room and extra classrooms that are much needed so that we as a school can cater for the larger number of kids who want to attend.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator. The Minister, Deputy Norma Foley has asked me to answer this on her behalf. I will give an update on the timelines for the delivery of additional classrooms at Ardscoil Phádraig, Granard.

Ardscoil Phádraig, Granard is a coeducational secondary school and enrolment for the school in September 2023 was 345 pupils. I am pleased to advise the House that Ardscoil Phádraig was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the additional school accommodation scheme. The project involves the provision of five mainstream classrooms along with one music, one multimedia and one textiles room combined with a science laboratory and science preparation area and a user-assisted toilet. The project has been devolved for delivery to the Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board, which has submitted the stage one architectural report, early design, to the Department for approval. This report is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the public infrastructure guidelines. Once this review is complete, my Department will be in touch with the school authority on how best to progress this important project through to detailed design, planning, procurement and construction. At this early stage and particularly in advance of the necessary statutory approvals, it is not possible to provide a reliable date for when this school building project will be completed.

Since 2020, my Department has invested over €5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 950 school building projects and with construction currently under way on approximately 350 other projects, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.5 billion. This is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country.

Notwithstanding this level of unprecedented investment, it is also important to note that all individual projects form part of a larger programme. The Department must manage the wider programme within the context of available resources, including funding parameters. In doing so, the Department targets and prioritises areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects the Department's fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. Similar to the previous answer, this was sanctioned in February 2021. Three and a half years later, we get an answer that "at this early stage and particularly in advance of the necessary statutory approvals, it is not possible to provide a reliable date for when this school building project will be completed". I do not think it is acceptable three and half years later to be told it is at an early stage. Do we need to further resource the school building unit in the Department of Education? I think we do. Every Member here has schools that are sitting in the system. After three and a half years, it is at an early stage. What is the projected final stage of this? Why is it not progressing further in the system? It is not acceptable. We needed extra school classrooms in February 2021. An application went in and was sanctioned because there was a need there. Two lots of children will have gone through the five or six years of the school system before this is built. If it was needed in February 2021 it should be delivered by now, three and a half years later. It is not at an early stage. It is not acceptable. I ask the Minister of State to pass that on to the Department of Education. We need to look at the resourcing of the school building unit. Why is it taking so long for school building projects to come through the system? Is it a case that they are waiting and hoping that some will not need extra classrooms when it comes to it? We need to further resource that unit and give definitive timelines to the students. My son started last week. In six years he will probably not see that extra classroom. It is not acceptable for any child.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Senator Carrigy clearly has a close, direct understanding of this particular school as he is on the school board and one of his children is attending the school. He understands what is involved. He is telling me that the school applied three years ago for its expansion, and that it is waiting for the Department to approve the stage 1 architectural plans. He cannot see why the project is taking longer than other schools to complete. What the Department says is that its prioritisation is directly related to how much pressure that school is under for additional school places. This is to obtain the objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Foley what she can do to advance this project and why it is taking so long to be at such an early stage.

I take representations from parents in schools and understand that sometimes you really work for a school project to happen, and by the time it has gone through the system and has been constructed, your child has actually progressed through the school and is never going to get the benefit from it. It is incredibly frustrating. I will go back to the Minister and ask what she can do on this particular project.