Laura Harmon (Labour)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Harkin. I want to discuss Coláiste Daibhéid in Cork city, which is a fantastic school I had the privilege of visiting recently. Bhí an-áthas orm bualadh leis an scoil agus na daltaí le déanaí, chomh maith leis an bpríomhoide agus leis an bhfoireann, chun plé a dhéanamh ar go leor ceisteanna trí Ghaeilge. Tá súil agam go mór go mbeidh muid in ann dul chun cinn a dhéanamh maidir le foirgneamh nua don scoil. Ta géarghá leis an bhfoirgneamh nua. Ba mhór an t-ábhar imní é an t-uisce ag sceitheadh ón díon a fheiceáil, chomh maith leis na buicéid a chuirtear amach chun an uisce a bhailiú. Tá sé seo ar fad ag tarlú gar do cháblaí leictreachais. Is ceist sláinte agus sábháilteachta í seo. Tá géarghá leis an bhfoirgneamh nua seo don scoil.Will the Minister of State provide an update on what has been done to progress the request for additional school accommodation for Coláiste Daibhéid in Cork city and a timeline for the project? The school's preference is option 1B, to ensure a hall, canteen and ASD hub can be provided, while also addressing accessibility, safety and serious roof leak issues. Some 23 leaks have been identified in one part of the school currently, which is worrying, and a lot of them are affecting electricity cables. This is worrying for staff and students. Coláiste Daibhéid is a Gaelcholáiste, ann Irish-medium second level school, which provides the students of Cork city and surrounding areas access to a co-educational, multi-denominational educational opportunity through Irish. The school's patron is the Cork Education and Training Board, CETB. It reaches high standards academically as well as in sport, STEM and stewardship. It has fantastic students and they deserve better.

At present, the school is on the edge of Douglas Street Campus on Sawmill Street. There are two buildings. One is Buckingham House, which dates from the mid-19th century. It is a protected building with a first floor that is only accessible by a stairs. It houses practical subjects, offices and work areas. The second building, known as an t-áras, was completed in 2011. It has eight classrooms with toilet facilities. The first floor is accessed by stairs and a lift.

What are the problems? Buckingham House is not fit for purpose for a school. When I visited, I noticed some of the following issues. It cannot be accessed from the road. There are parking issues. There is not enough room for a wheelchair to go around the side of the building. There is no obvious proper entrance. The reception is upstairs. There is no lift access for anyone with mobility issues, buggies or deliveries. The classrooms are an irregular shape and are not the standard classroom size of 49 sq. m. There are inadequate corridor space, uneven floor levels and an unsatisfactory ASD room and it is necessary to go through one classroom to access another. It is cold, with high heating costs and the pipes burst regularly. The woodwork room has no machinery. The home economics room is too small and has no storage area. There is a lack of storage space in general.

What is the school seeking? An application for additional accommodation for the school was first raised in January 2020. Since then, it has been waiting for updates. The latest report was submitted in August 2025 and the school wants the Minister of State's help to move the project to a stage 1B meeting with the Department. The aim would be to move the process to a joint stage 2A and 2B to advance the project at a rapid pace but the preferred building plan option is option 1B.

I would like to hear the Minister of State's response on this. I thank her for attending this morning.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Harmon for raising this issue as it gives me the opportunity to update the House on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth on the current position regarding the planned school building project at Coláiste Daibhéid, Cork. As the Senator said, her question is a ceist sláinte agus sábháiblteachta.

An extension project at the school has been approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme to provide one multimedia room, one textiles room, one graphics room, one construction room, one technology preparation area, one science laboratory, one science laboratory preparation area and one project store. The feasibility of a physical education, PE, hall or general purpose-dining hall accommodation on the site is also to be explored as part of the design process. This project is devolved to the Cork Education and Training Board, CETB, for delivery.

The stage 1 preliminary design report, outlining the proposed design and costings, has been submitted to the Department and is currently under review. In line with the Department’s infrastructure guidelines, all projects, including this one, are subject to the necessary technical and cost assessments as part of this process. Given the complexity of the evaluation, and the need to ensure full cost compliance and alignment with the national development plan, NDP, this review is necessarily thorough. Once the review is complete, the outcome will be communicated to CETB, which will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to ensure they are kept fully informed of progress.

Although this project is not included in the first tranche of school building projects under the NDP sectoral investment plan, it remains part of the Department’s overall pipeline. A Department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline. The process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme roll-out.

The Department-led energy and condition survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities. A further tranche of projects to progress to tender is expected to be confirmed in 2027. As prioritisation continues, additional projects may be included where justified by urgency and readiness to proceed, and subject to funding. Opportunities for advance enabling works will also be considered for the most urgent and complex projects to support delivery from 2028 onwards.

Do I still have time? The clock is red.

Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)
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You still have 30 seconds. It is just counting down.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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Furthermore, priority projects at earlier stages of the pipeline continue to be advanced - the Senator probably needs to hear that - with particular emphasis on special schools, schools operating entirely in interim accommodation, projects providing significant special education capacity, additional accommodation to meet demographic growth, and schools with the most pressing building condition issues.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. Will she call for a meeting in person with the school? Could that be facilitated to give the school an update in person? Does she have an idea as to a commitment on the timeline? In order that I have clarity on the timeline, did she say it will be considered in the next tranche in 2026-27 or will it be confirmed in 2028?

I reiterate the value the school brings to Cork in the education it provides. It was a pleasure to meet the principal, Mr. Tadhg Ó Laighin, and the students, recently. I have heard from many parents who are concerned, particularly about the safety issues. I have a serious concern. They need to be addressed without delay because there is an accident waiting to happen with these leaks and the water going onto the electricity cables. It is a matter of utmost urgency.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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As I said, a further tranche of projects to progress to tender is expected to be confirmed next year. I gave a list of the types of priority projects that will be looked at. They include special schools, schools operating entirely in interim accommodation, projects providing significant special education capacity, additional accommodation to meet demographic growth, and schools with the most pressing building condition issues - that seems to be what the Senator is describing.

Regarding meetings with the Minister, I am not in a position to commit to that.Obviously, if that is what the Senator is looking for, she can contact the Minister. I will send the Minister a note stating that is what she is looking for. As she and I know, it will be up to her to organise it. I thank her for providing me, on behalf of the Minister, an opportunity to outline the Department's position on the project. The Department remains committed to providing ongoing guidance and practical support in the delivery of this project and will continue to engage closely with patron bodies, management bodies and schools on the progression of projects through the school building pipeline. This includes continued engagement with Coláiste Daibhéid and Cork ETB.