2026-05-12

It was with great disappointment that the príomhoide, staff, pupils and parents discovered that Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin was not included in the list of prioritised projects for 2026-27. Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin, Bóthar Ghlas Naíon, Finglas East, Dublin 11, is a recognised DEIS school and has been acknowledged by the Department of Education and Youth to be in extremely poor condition. It has long been accepted that a new school building needs to be constructed to replace the current school. Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin has been seeking a proper school building since it first opened in September 2005. The new school building will include 16 general classrooms and a two-classroom SEN unit. The school currently has 291 pupils and the new school will cater for approximately 400 pupils. The project is currently at stage 2a, architectural planning, and is being delivered under the ADAPT programme. To date, the project has stalled. According to the timeline agreed with the Department, the project should have moved on to stage 2b, that is, approval for statutory application, in August 2024. The agreed timeline, as presented to the school by the Department, is not being adhered to. Previously, in a meeting in January 2025 between the school authorities, design team and project manager, the Department requested an additional report to address issues of concern raised by the Department. The report was submitted to the Department addressing these concerns. Since then there has been no further progression of the project. The new school is urgently needed because the school is constantly firefighting as maintenance problems continually arise and a lot of money has gone into maintaining this old building. Teastaíonn freagraí uaim maidir leis an bhfáth ar tháinig deireadh leis an tionscadal seo.

Is mian liom labhairt faoi Ghaelscoil Uí Earcáin i bhFionnghlas. Rinne mé staidéar sa teach scoile seo 40 bliain ó shin. Bhí mo sheanathair ar choiste tógála na scoile 70 bliain ó shin, agus tá an teach scoile ag éirí an-sean anois. Tá teach scoile nua ag teastáil ón scoil agus tá gá leis go han-luath. Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin is a school I studied in 40 years ago. My grandfather was on the building committee nearly 70 years ago, yet the building still remains in desperate need of improvement. Over recent years, thanks to the tireless work of the principal - I give her great credit; she lets none of us off the hook - we have invested in the school in the form of new windows and other improvements. As she says, however, we are throwing good money after bad because we know that there is a plan for an exciting new school building, and the principal, the students and the school community want to get on with that being built. It is at stage 2a. There are documents, I understand, with the Department that have to be reviewed. There was certainly some back-and-forth over different elements of the design, but we find that it has come to a halt. The school was particularly disappointed when it was not included in the recent list, particularly when an adjoining school, St. Canice's Girls' National School, actually had a letter of intent issued today. We are very grateful for that but it is all the more reason the Gaelscoil beside it should also get the go-ahead. There is demand for school places in our area. Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin needs a new building.

Táim fíorbhuíoch de na Teachtaí Ellis agus McAuliffe as an ábhar seo a ardú sa Teacht. Táim ag caint thar ceann an Aire Oideachais. Tá brón uirthi nach bhfuil sí anseo chun labhairt faoi Ghaelscoil Uí Earcáin. Bhí an Teachta McAuliffe mar dhalta san fhoirgneamh 40 bliain ó shin. Bheadh a sheanathair bródúil as. Molaim dó as an obair atá á déanamh aige ar son na scoile. The important point that both Deputy Ellis and Deputy McAuliffe have raised is that the project is to provide a new replacement 16-classroom primary school and accommodation for pupils with special educational needs at the existing site. As the Members know, the current school building will remain in operation until the replacement school is delivered and will be demolished thereafter. I am taking this Topical Issue tonight on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. I know Deputy McAuliffe has been in contact with her. As has been said, the project is currently at stage 2a, architectural planning - developed design. At this stage, the preferred design option is developed to a point at which the project can be fully cost planned and prepared to lodge for statutory approvals. This major programme is being delivered under the Department's ADAPT programme. Tá an clár tógála scoile ag méadú. We are increasing the programme. The programme uses a professional external project manager to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning and on to tender and construction. As both Deputies have said, the Department of Education and Youth has reviewed the stage 2a submission. The stage 2a stakeholders' meeting between the school authorities, the design team, the project manager and the Department was held in January last year. The meeting concluded with a request for the design team to submit a stage 2a addendum report addressing issues raised by the Department at the meeting. The Department has received this report. Upon review of the report, the Department will advise all stakeholders regarding the progression of the project. I have been informed by the Minister that she has published a €7.55 billion NDP sectoral investment plan for the education and youth sectors. This plan places a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and the prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard, there will be a strong emphasis on special education throughout project roll-out. Of the €7.55 billion, it is envisaged that around €5 billion will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the large-scale, additional accommodation, modular and annual September accommodation needs programmes. I am told the Department will continue to build on the progress made with the continued roll-out of these projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. The Minister has informed me that she has published a list of 105 school building projects to proceed to construction or tender this year or next year. This includes 80 large-scale and additional school accommodation scheme projects. There is a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project roll-out to meet the most urgent needs and particularly to support special education needs provision. Those projects that are at tender stage, stage 3, will be facilitated to progress to construction over the course of this year and next year. Some 35 projects that currently have planning permission and that are at pre-tender stage will also be facilitated. I will take the views and remarks of both Deputies back to the Minister. I know the reply I have given is not what they wanted to hear as regards where we are going and the provision of additional capacity to cater for the demographics they have described clearly. On foot of what we have heard tonight, I will bring their remarks and views back to the Minister.

Tá díomá orm an rud atá ráite ag an Aire Stáit a chloisteáil. Níl sé soiléir go bhfuil aon dul chun cinn á dhéanamh. Tá sé scannalach nach bhfuil aon rud le tabhairt ar ais don scoil mar gheall ar an bhfoirgneamh nua a thógáil. Tá sé de dhualgas ar an Rialtas fás ár dteanga a chur chun cinn. Níl ach scoil Ghaeilge amháin i bhFionnghlas cé go bhfuil líon mór scoileanna Béarla ann. There are lots of English schools all around Finglas. We see seem to be the second class. We do not seem to be taken seriously. This has been hard work. The principal, the pupils and the people in the area have done huge work to get this school running. There is massive demand in our area. This is a kick in the teeth to people trying to get their children into Irish schools and trying to put our language first. That should be the priority of the Government and of the Minister. I am so disappointed in the response.

I have to agree. The fact that both Deputy Ellis and I are putting this Topical Issue down together should show the Minister for education how important public representatives in our area consider this issue. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as a fhreagra. Tá na páistí, na múinteoirí agus an príomhoide ag obair go dian. Is pobal scoile iontach iad. Tá teach scoile maith tuillte acu. Impím ar an Aire Stáit gach gur féidir leis a dhéanamh chun an scoil nua a thógáil go luath. We have to press ahead with this. The Minister of State has spoken about €7.5 billion and 108 schools. Previous Ministers were often accused of talking about millions and billions. All of that means nothing to people if they do not have a new school building in their own area. I again ask the Minister of State to communicate to the Minister the joint determination of the public representatives in this constituency to support Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin. I ask him to do everything in his power to deliver it within the capital budget.

Táim ag éisteacht leis na Teachtaí McAuliffe agus Ellis. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil díomá orthu leis an bhfreagra. Táim ag tógáil an t-ábhar seo thar ceann an Aire. Mar a dúirt mé, tabharfaidh mé freagraí na beirte don Roinn agus don Aire. I will disagree with Deputy Ellis on one thing. This Government is committed to the Irish language. Táimid ag méadú an líon scoileanna, buiséad Roinn na Gaeltachta agus úsáid na Gaeilge sna scoileanna agus sa phobal. I understand the frustration and the depth of disappointment of the Deputies. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister. I will relay the concerns the Deputies have expressed tonight to her. As a former teacher and someone who understands the need for scoil nua a thógáil do Ghaelscoil Uí Earcáin, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil fuinneamh ag na Teachtaí i leith an chláir seo. I recognise that the school building project is important to the Deputies. It is an important part of what we do in expending the education budget. I recognise that the reply tonight is not what the Deputies want to hear. I will certainly bring their remarks back. I will definitely relay their concerns as to the advancement of the school building programme to the Department and the Minister. I thank them for their courtesy to me tonight.