Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan.

Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach agus leis an Aire Stáit as ucht teacht isteach maidin inniu le héisteacht liom an todhchaí Ghaelscoil an Chaisleáin i mBaile an Chollaigh a phlé. Tús maith leath na hoibre a dheireann phobal na Gaeilge i gcónaí, agus is fíor é sin i gcás Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin ar an taobh iarthar de Bhaile an Chollaigh i gCorcaigh. Tá tús maith faighte ag an scoil. Le breis is ocht mbliana anuas bhí ceannaireacht aislingeach ón bpríomhoide iontach Máire Bean Uí Shé agus ón bhfoireann ar fad.

Bunaíodh an scoil i bhfoirgneamh sealadach i gCumann Rugbaí Bhaile an Chollaigh in 2017. Chríochnaigh an chéad rang de pháistí a tháinig isteach leis an mbunscolaíocht níos luaithe i mbliana, tar éis ocht mbliana áthasacha a chaitheamh sa scoil shealadach. Táim an-bhródúil as bheith i mo bhall de bhord bainistíochta na scoile, agus ag cruinniú boird a bhí againn aréir, bhíomar go léir an-bhuartha mar gheall ar an gcéad chaibidil eile i scéal na scoile. Táimid ag crosbhóthar anois ó thaobh céard atá le déanamh ag an Roinn Oideachais agus tá dhá rogha aige.

Is féidir scoil nua a thógáil le hocht seomra ranga nó scoil ghlan nua a thógáil le sé sheomra ranga déag. Tá an scoil ag fás le breis is ocht mbliana anuas in ainneoin go bhfuil teorann ann faoi láthair d’aon sraith amháin. Go dtí seo, bhíodh sé mar aidhm ag an scoil timpeall ochtar nó naonúr is 20 a bheith i ngach rang, cé go bhfuil éileamh ann do i bhfad níos mó ná sin. Má thógann muid an bhliain seo chugainn mar shampla, beidh triúr is fiche de dheirfiúracha agus deartháireacha de dhaltaí atá fós sa scoil ag teacht isteach. Ciallaíonn sé sin nach mbeidh ach cúig nó sé d’áiteanna fágtha do gach páiste eile atá ag iarraidh teacht isteach. Chomh maith leis sin, tá daonra Bhaile an Chollaigh, an baile is slachtmhara in Éirinn agus daonra an pharóiste inar fhás mé féin aníos, ag dul i méid go tapa bliain i ndiaidh bliana.

Ó thaobh an Ghaeilge de, tá an-dul chun cinn déanta i mBaile an Chollaigh le breis is 40 bliain anuas ó bhunaíodh Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin i 1983 faoi stiúradh Gabriel Ó Cathasaigh, agus níos déanaí nuair a bhunaigh Pat Kinsella agus a chomhghleacaithe Coláiste Choilm sa bhaile i 1991. Bhí na Gaelscoileanna ar fad bunaithe de bharr éileamh sa bhaile d'oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge. Éagóir cheart a bheadh ann cinneadh a dhéanamh anois scoil ocht seomra ranga a thógáil nuair atá an t-éileamh fós ann do scoil i bhfad níos mó agus a bheadh i bhfad níos oiriúnaí do phobal Bhaile an Chollaigh.

As well as the need to have a 16-classroom school, there is also the issue that Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is a multidenominational school. We need to give parents the opportunity to send their children to a school of their choice. The demand is there. The population of the town is growing significantly and it would be a retrograde step at this point as we make a crucial decision on the school’s future to take a decision to build an eight-classroom school rather than a 16-classroom one. A 16-classroom school is what is needed, the demand is there, the school is already full and the community is growing. I would very much like further engagement with the Department on the importance of delivering a 16-classroom school for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin in Ballincollig.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir for advocating for the people and students of Ballincollig and those who wish to send their children to a multidenominational school to be educated as Gaeilge.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who could not attend. I will try to outline where the process lies and where there might be opportunities to engage and make the points the Senator has already made. As he said, Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is a multidenominational school under the patronage of An Fóras Pátrúnachta. Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is currently located in interim modular accommodation on the Ballincollig Rugby Football Club's grounds. I am informed that the school has sufficient accommodation at this location, pending the delivery of permanent accommodation. Considering the demand the Senator outlined, that information might be disputed.

The project will be delivered under the Department of Education and Youth’s ADAPT 4 programme, entitled "Programme Innovate". This programme will be led by integrated project teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects. The Department has appointed a programme manager to oversee the programme, including the procurement and appointment of the integrated project teams. The IPT procurement process for phase 1, Programme Innovate, which includes the major project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, is almost fully concluded. Upon appointment, the integrated project team began the initial stage of architectural planning. Stage 1 is when a site and current building assessment is carried out and initial design sketch schemes are created. Currently, the programme manager and the IPT anticipate that the stage 1 submission will be available to the Department for review at the end of quarter 4 of 2025.At that stage, a stakeholders meeting will be scheduled for early quarter 1 2026. I hope that will be an opportunity where stakeholders, including parents, teachers and principals, can underline the need for more classrooms and teachers as the Senator outlined.

The brief for the project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is the delivery of a new eight-classroom primary school. The school will be part of a shared educational campus in Ballincollig, County Cork. This campus will also include a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school. The overall master planning of the campus site will include a potential phase 2 for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin to expand to an overall 16-classroom plus four SEN classes primary school. Upon receipt of all statutory approvals, including planning permission, the Department will review and advise the patron and school authorities as to whether phase 2 will be included as part of the current project. As this campus project is at the initial stage of architectural planning, it is not possible to provide a timeframe for construction currently. School stakeholders will be updated by the programme manager and the Department during the stages of architectural planning.

That outlines the process, plan and pathway for getting from design to delivery. There is an opportunity in the meeting with stakeholders. The Senator made a concrete point - the demand is there. We all know Ballincollig has a growing population. Why wait until a second stage to progress to the 16 classrooms? It makes more sense to deliver a project in full in the first effort.

Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his understanding of the issue. His points were spot on - why wait when the demand is already there? I appreciate the Minister of State coming in and that he was given notes by the Department but I dispute that there is adequate accommodation in the school at the moment. We as a school community need to address that to ensure the correct decision is arrived at. Otherwise, it would be a waste of money. This is not something new. In 1987, a second secondary school was built in Ballincollig, Coláiste Choilm. The Minister for Education at the time said a school built for 400 pupils would be absolutely adequate. Today, there are over 1,400 in that secondary school. We do not want the same mistake to be made again. We want to get this right at the outset. Now is the time to get it right and give the school board of management and school community the chance to develop and grow in the new school building. It is vital that the new school is correct and that it is, at a minimum, a 16-classroom school.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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If there is a chink of light for the Senator and people in Ballincollig in the response, it would be that upon receipt of all statutory approvals including planning permission, the Department will review and advise the patron and school authorities as to whether phase 2 will be included as part of the current project. It is not ruling out that they will progress together. I agree with the Senator. We have to learn from errors in the past. Another example is in Clonakilty. A fantastic new extension to the community college was built but the case was always made that more should be built because the population was growing so much. Within a couple of years, it was again at capacity and a further extension was required. The obvious thing would have been to go bigger the first time. All of these points will be relayed to the Minister. I advise the Senator to use the stakeholder opportunity to emphasise his point.