Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, to the House. I call Senator Tim Lombard who has four minutes.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is more than welcome. I raise this matter to ask the Minister for Education to provide an update regarding the timetables for building works at St. Brogan's College, Bandon, County Cork. This is part of a multi-phase operation. There are three phases. The first phase has been completed. We are looking for progress regarding the second phase.

St. Brogan's is a co-education, multidenominational school based in Bandon, which offers a wide range of subject choice for both boys and girls of all ages and abilities. Bandon is the largest town in Cork South-West. We are lucky to have four excellent post-primary schools in Bandon. They cater for a huge catchment area, including villages like Ballinhassig, Innishannon, Kilbrittain, Timoleague, Ballineen, Enniskeane, Newcestown and Ballinadee. It also includes a catchment area of 19 primary schools that all go to the school. It is quite a significant driver in our educational economy and we need to make sure we have the right infrastructure on site.

The school's mission statement is very important. It states: “St. Brogan’s College strives to be a happy, safe, caring and inclusive community where everyone is supported to reach their potential”. That mission statement sets out the ethos of the school and that is led by the very capable principal, Helen Cadogan, and her two wonderful assistants, Derry O'Donovan and Teresa Vaughan. That team has worked tirelessly to try to make sure that this very significant project can be delivered.

Last year, we saw the completion of the first phase, which was a third storey stand-alone extension that catered for accommodation for science laboratories, home economics rooms, art rooms and additional classrooms. This was very much welcomed.

The next phase is really important as it is about trying to tie together the entire project and achieving the school's ethos, which is to ensure all sections of society can be provided for in the actual school itself.

The next phase involves four special education classrooms and more additional classrooms. This special education space is really important. At the moment, the school is catering for four autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes but only has two ASD rooms. It has been out front since the 1990s about providing special education on campus and that inclusive nature is so important. We need the infrastructure and the Department to liaise with the school management to make sure phase 2 can move forward. Literally since last January-February, we have been trying to get movement on this second phase. There has been very little information coming from the Department about when this going to happen. It is really important that we get movement on a timeline and when this second phase can start because the inclusive nature on the school grounds is important and what they have delivered is really important so far.

St. Brogan's College is really significant. In 2021, the college had 620 pupils and now it has more than 860 pupils. That shows how the development of the school is going one way but the school's ethos is what it is all about. I recommend that the Minister of State visits the school. If he does, he will meet Ultan the therapy dog who is a wonderful animal. Ultan will be one-year-old next Friday and there will be a big party in the school. It shows how inclusive the school is. On arrival, you meet the therapy dog. Ultan interacts with everyone. He is a wonderful animal but he provides wonderful engagement for people who just need that little bit of space at times.

Finally, this school has done so much but what it needs now is infrastructure. St. Brogan's needs the special classes so it can provide what is needed on the ground. It needs the canteen and the additional classrooms. The second phase of building and its timeline are very important.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Senator and the Minister of State has four minutes.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I thank Senator Lombard for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the additional school accommodation scheme project for St. Brogan's College, Bandon, County Cork.

As the Senator will be aware, the project referred to is a building project to deliver additional accommodations at St. Brogan's College, Bandon, County Cork. The project is a large ASA project delivered in two phases. Responsibility for delivering the project has been devolved to Cork Educational and Training Board, which has appointed a design team to design the accommodation being provided and to bring the project through the tender and construction phases. Projects progress from stage to stage in accordance with the project brief and the Department's design guidelines.

Under phase 1, four general classrooms, three science laboratories, two preparation areas, an art room, a textile room, a home economics room and a pastoral office were completed last year. The Department of Education has also approved a phase 2 of this project to enter its pipeline of school buildings. Phase 2 will provide seven general classrooms, a mild general learning disability classroom, three special education classrooms, seven special education tuition rooms and ancillary accommodation, including a staffroom, a general purpose and-or dining room, a counter area, servery, a general purpose, GP, storeroom, locker areas and toilets.

The stage 1 architectural report for phase 2 is currently being reviewed by the Department from both a technical and cost perspective. This is similar to all other capital projects and is in accordance with the requirements of the public infrastructure guidelines. Once this review is completed, the outcome will be shared with the school authority. At this early juncture in the project, it is not feasible to give a reliable timeline for the practical completion of the project.

Since 2020, the Department of Education 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 at 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 will upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for a very comprehensive response. He mentioned what was involved in the second phase, and that is really important. It includes three special education classrooms and seven special education tuition rooms. We need the final piece of the jigsaw. We need to make sure that this development can move forward. We have been waiting since January or February to get news from the Department about the proposal and on whether it be moved on. There is a need at some level to make sure this proposal moves on. We are really trying to make sure the inclusive nature of the school can continue by putting the infrastructure in place. We have the plans, we have gone to the Department and we now need to get approval, if we possibly can.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The Department has told me that it will move on this as fast as it can. This Department of Education really has a good track record on the delivery of capital projects. I think the reason for that is because it has done so many. It has completed 950 projects in the last four years and when you do something many times you begin to get good at it. I noticed that with, for example, Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The TII has built so many motorway bridges and roads that at this stage you can kind of expect that they are going to be able to do things on time and on budget.

I expect that the Department of Education is going to be able to deliver for this school in just the same way it delivered phase 1 last year.The school is growing. The Senator gave a very good description of what is happening there, everything right down to the therapy dog. I got some colour there in what the school is like with its 860 pupils and its inclusive ethos. It is providing already for special education but needs to provide more. I think everybody would be glad to see that there are 1,600 extra SNAs and more than 700 extra special education teachers provided for in the budget. Everything we can do to help St. Brogan's College will be done as soon as possible.