Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Deputy Michael Moynihan and congratulate him on his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. I know from our time on the disability matters committee that he has an excellent understanding of the requirements in this area.

The matter I am raising relates to an extension Milltown National School in Belturbet, County Cavan. Sanction was first given for the building of a mainstream classroom and two special education teacher, SET, rooms in July 2021. The following March, an additional build was sanctioned for two general classrooms, toilets, two special education rooms and a special educational needs, SEN, base room. A budget of €1.9 million was allocated. This was superseded in July 2023 and the current build was granted.

A design team was put in place and the Department received the stage 1 report from the school, which is the early design report, on 7 August 2024. It was acknowledged a couple of weeks later that the report had been received and had been forward to the professional and technical team for review. The school was given a timeframe of three to six months to hear back. It was hoped that the design team could progress to the next stage of the build.

The principal received correspondence only yesterday, having heard nothing since August and despite having sought updates and so on. The email in question states that the Department received the stage 1 report in quarter 4 of 2024, which is not true because he has the emails acknowledging receipt of the report when it was submitted in August. I seek clarification on when the report was received.

Much more importantly, when will the review be completed and the school given permission to continue with the build? The enrolment figure for the school is 174. In 2006, there were 56 students, but numbers have increased to over 170 in the past couple of years. In less than 20 years, the school's enrolment has increased by more than 300%. There is no more space for classrooms. The school has four modular buildings that take up yard space which should be used as a playground. The school hall is being used as a classroom. As a result, the school cannot have general assemblies or indoor PE if the weather is bad which, as we know, is a regular occurrence. Circulation space for students with autism is limited.

Enrolment is projected to increase because the school has carried out surveys of local parents and crèches. The school has projected enrolment that it will not be able to accommodate additional enrolment from September 2026. The school is under pressure in terms of space and wants to know that the extension will proceed in the minimum amount of time possible.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for the opportunity to discuss this matter and, more importantly, I congratulate her on her election to Seanad Éireann. I thank her for the work she did as vice chair of the disability matters committee in the Thirty-third Dáil. The dedication and commitment to her job was second to none. We had a hugely important role and the committee worked well across the political divide.

On allowing the project in Milltown National School in Belturbet, County Cavan, to proceed to stage 2, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter because it gives me an opportunity to update Seanad Éireann on the current position regarding the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme for the school. My Department has approved a brief for the project, which includes the provision of two mainstream classrooms, two SET rooms and one SEN base. As the Senator will be aware, the project referred to was approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects and responsibility for delivery has been devolved to the school authority locally. A design team has been appointed 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 the ASA scheme the Department has detailed procedures in place for the appraisal, design, tender and construction of all school building projects. Design team procedures define the points in the project lifecycle at which approval must be sought from the Department, which aligns with the infrastructure guidelines to ensure there is proper accountability. These processes include stage approval reviews which challenges all elements of design and specification. They are an essential element of good cost control and supports market interest in our school buildings

As the Senator said, Milltown National School is currently at stage 1 and the school submitted a stage 1 report to the Department in August 2024. This report is currently under review from a technical and cost perspective, as outlined in the public infrastructure guidelines.

As the Senator may know, a significant amount of money has been invested by the Department over the past while in school building projects and this will continue. I will take the important issues the Senator raised regarding Milltown National School back to the Department. I will ensure there is a response in a timely fashion to the documentation that was submitted in August 2024, and I will report back to the Senator in a timely fashion. It is important that we keep these projects moving because, as the Senator has outlined, there has been significant growth in the school population, from 56 pupils to 174. It is important that the project is progressed. We will report back to the Senator as a matter of urgency.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that his reply acknowledges that the stage 1 report was received in August. He has given a commitment to follow up on this project to get to the next date as soon as possible. It is an important project.

It is an inclusive school. The staff are extraordinarily committed and there are two special classes in the school. We know it has sometimes been difficult to get schools to agree to have a special class. The school has been to the forefront in including students with additional needs. I have spoken to many parents whose students attend the school and have nothing but praise for the principal and staff and their inclusive practices. It is important that the Department ensures the project progresses as soon as possible. More than three and a half years have passed since the project to provide additional accommodation was mooted.That is a long time in the lifetime of a school and it puts a lot of pressure on the staff and students in the school when they are working in those conditions.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, three and a half years is a long time, but I might just answer the Senator’s question on inclusivity. I know about the great work that is being done in Milltown National School and the inclusivity there, which she mentioned, and the way the school has embraced all the challenges and changes within the education system. That has to be acknowledged, both from a school leadership point of view and thanks to all those who are working within the school. I acknowledge that and wish them well on it. I will see whether we can move to the next stage to get a report as a matter of urgency on the documentation that was submitted in August 2024.

Again, I wish the Senator the best of luck in the Upper House and thank her for the courtesy and co-operation with which we worked together so well in the previous Dáil at the disability committee.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber.