Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad to discuss this important matter. As he knows, I am passionate about the delivery of services for my constituency. One of my top priorities is the delivery of a new school building for Rush National School. It is a matter I have continuously raised in the Seanad and one we need to keep raising and pressing the Department on because this is a project that has been in the offing for 18 years. The school leadership, under Morgan Doran, and the board of management have been pressing this. The previous principal, Margaret Dobinson, started the campaign. It has been a long and sorry history, which I will bring the Minister of State briefly through. Approval was obtained in 2010 and planning permission was granted in 2013. While it was renewed on a couple of occasions due to it expiring, it finally expired on 8 December 2024. A fresh planning application was required and this is currently in process.

It is a school of some 700 pupils. It was built in 1953 and is completely inadequate. A new 32-classroom school needs to be delivered that will also have two autism classrooms, which are really badly needed, particularly in light of the previous Commencement matter. The same demand is seen throughout north County Dublin. Rush has a big population with more than 11,000 people and is increasing rapidly. Thousands of houses are being built and delivered in north County Dublin and Rush is at the centre of that. There is huge demand on school places and autism classrooms and the principal of Rush National School, Morgan Doran, wants to deliver this school so that he can cater for the huge demand in the area. The school is not fit for purpose.

I am raising this Commencement matter to see whether we can get some information as to where the project is at. While the school wants to engage positively and collaboratively with the Department of Education, there is a complete lack of information coming from the Department with regard to the progress of this project. Given the long history I have outlined, including the lapsing of the planning permissions and the need for constant renewal of planning permissions, the lack of information coming from the Department is concerning. The school needs to be delivered. I do not want to let this matter slip from the attention of the new Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Deputy Foley, visited the school last June when she was the Minister for Education, as did the Taoiseach, when he was the Tánaiste, in November. They saw the great education the children receive in the school but also the completely inadequate facilities. The people of Rush are proud of this school and the education it has delivered for generations in Rush. They are invested in its success, but the delivery of the school building is needed.When I was out knocking on doors last November, people were telling me that when their children started school, they were told the new school would be delivered within a couple of years. Not only have those children finished in Rush National School, they have also finished in secondary school at this stage, so enough is enough. We need this school building to be delivered as soon as possible. I would really appreciate an update about where the project is and a commitment that the Department will keep engaging or start better engagement with the school and board of management.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter on a number of occasions and again today. The large-scale capital project for Rush National School is included in the Department of Education’s construction programme, which will be delivered under the national development plan as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework.

The project brief for Rush National School includes the construction of a new two-storey, 32-classroom school with two classrooms for children with special educational needs, a general purpose hall and ancillary accommodation. External works include the demolition of the existing single-storey school building, the removal of existing temporary accommodation, a new boundary treatment, landscaping, staff car parking area, ball courts, play areas and ancillary works. The project is at architectural planning stage three - tender action and award.

A tender report was received from the design team in 2023 and was reviewed by the Department of Education. During the course of this review, it was noted that the planning permission was due to expire in December 2023 and a new planning permission application would be required. Given the passage of time since tenders were returned and the requirement for a new planning application, the design team was authorised in July 2024 to collapse the former tender procedure and proceed with the new planning application. This planning application will include decarbonisation measures in accordance with technical design guidance. The design team has liaised with Fingal County Council accordingly. The updated tender documents will include the updated mechanical and electrical requirements in accordance with decarbonisation measures and compliance with any statutory requirements.

The due diligence by the Department of Education is a critical part of the overall completion of the stage three process and is critical to ensuring quality and value for money and that projects are progressed within overall programme parameters. The large-scale capital project remains a priority for delivery and Department of Education officials will keep the school authority updated as stage three progresses.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response, which outlined the long and sorry history of the delivery of this project. It is not good enough. The people of Rush and, in particular, the children of Rush National School deserve better. I am glad to see that Department officials will keep the school authorities updated as this stage progresses. Regarding doubling down on this commitment and getting them to engage in a better way than heretofore, I can guarantee that the school leadership and board of management want to ensure the quality of the school and value for money and are fully signed up to the principles laid out by the Minister of State in his response. They want to collaborate with the Department to get this delivered and not allow this to go on any longer than is necessary.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising a project that is very important for her constituency. It is not acceptable to me or, I think, anybody else in Seanad Éireann or Dáil Éireann that this project should take so long. I will be communicating with the Department on foot of what I have heard here today. It beggars belief that so many projects in the Department's school building unit take so long. I have come to this House on many occasions to answer Commencement matters on issues rightly raised by the Senator and others across the House regarding the inordinate length of time some of our building projects take.It is simply not acceptable. It raises alarming issues in terms of value for money and delivery. If we have a national development plan, as we have, and we want to see our projects delivered, we want to have them delivered in a timely manner. Our communities and the teachers and students who are going to those schools deserve better. Everybody needs to work harder. I thank all Senators for raising this issue.