2026-04-23

I am glad to get the opportunity to raise the proposed extension of Gort Community School in south Galway. The principal of the school, Brian Crossan, is passionate about this project and the future of the school. There is no doubt that it is badly needed. Gort Community School is holding celebrations tomorrow for its 30th anniversary. It is an important milestone for the school. I congratulate the school on 30 years. In recent years, the school has grown from 780 to 1,050 pupils and will continue to grow. It has been working on this extension project for many years now. It first received approval from the Department back in 2019, so it has been in the pipeline for quite some time. After that approval, it is my understanding that the Department came back a few times and asked the school to make changes to redesign the project. As a result, the school is probably two or three years behind where it should be with this project. It is important to say this is a fantastic school. People only hear good things about it, but there is a need for better facilities and investment in the school. The three ASD units are working out of ordinary classrooms. They are cramped and inadequate facilities. This is a real issue with the level of need the school is experiencing. Given enrolment trends, there is significant demand for ASD provision in the area and waiting lists for a place in these classes will only increase. The school is at capacity as it stands. I mentioned the growth in pupil numbers, which is only going in one direction. The school is struggling for space and facilities and is reliant on prefabricated buildings. The extension will result in a 1,200-pupil school. It involves a purpose-built autism unit with three classrooms, 19 general classrooms, specialist rooms for art and home economics, science laboratories, a new staff room, a general purpose and dining area, a fitness suite and much more, as well as alterations to the existing building. This is an exciting project, but also an essential one, if the existing and projected demand at the school is to be met and education delivered at an appropriate standard. These are the type of facilities children and young people in the south Galway area need and deserve. Gort and the wider south Galway area is growing at a fast pace. Planning permission is in place for hundreds of homes and the school has a wide catchment area extending into north County Clare. Planning permission for the extension was granted in 2024. I understand the stage 2b report was submitted in March. The school wants to get on with this project now. It wants to build it, but it needs the go-ahead from the Department and it was not included in the NDP sectoral investment plan. It needs to be added to the priority list as soon as possible. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, visited the school recently. She is aware of the urgency of this project for the school, but it needs to be pushed on. I urge the Government to ensure that happens and to provide clarity on a timeline for when it can proceed to the next stage and issue a tender for construction.

I thank Deputy O'Hara for raising this important issue and join him in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Gort Community School's foundation. As the Deputy will be aware, the school was approved to enter the Department's pipeline for a project under the additional school accommodation scheme. The project will provide 19 general classrooms, seven SET rooms, two meeting rooms, one deputy principal's office, three classroom SEN bases, one art room, one home economics room, one graphics room, three science laboratories with two prep areas, one construction studies room with a prep area, one engineering room and prep area, three project stores, one staff room, one general purpose or dining area and other ancillary accommodation. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. It is currently at stage 2b, developed design. The stage 2b report was submitted to the Department in April 2026 and is currently being reviewed from a technical and cost perspective. All projects, including this one, undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the public infrastructure guidelines. Although this project is not in the first tranche of school building projects recently published in the NDP sectoral investment plan, it remains part of the Department's overall pipeline of school building projects. The NDP school sectoral plan involves a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard, there will be a strong special education dimension to project roll-out. The Department of education will continue to build on the progress made in recent years with the continued roll-out of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. As part of planning ahead for the progress to tender of the next tranche of projects, the 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, having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and ultimately inform the next tranches of programme roll-out to tender. The Department-led energy and conditions survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities. Based on this ongoing prioritisation process, some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027, having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the Department of education will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond. Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the Department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and the best approach for addressing same.

I thank the Minister of State. This has been going on for many years at this stage. Of course, I understand that these projects take time but there is a pressing need for this project to be accelerated and delivered. I mentioned the pressure on ASD provision in the school. That is a real and immediate need that has to be met. Further delays with this project just makes it more difficult for the school to meet the demand that exists and provide an inclusive learning environment. I also mentioned that Gort and south Galway is a growing area and it is inevitable that significant additional school capacity will be required in the local area. Indeed, it is already required and the young people attending school there deserve top-class facilities, the same as one would expect to find in any other school. There is a clear need and that is the message that I want to get across today. We have to meet the demands of a growing community. It is the Department's own land and buildings. The Department has asked the school to upgrade the plans to build for 1,200 pupils and everything is in place now. The school has done all that has been asked of it but the project needs to start so that the school is ahead of the curve and can avoid significant issues in terms of school places, ASD provision and so on. Again, I urge the Government to ensure that this happens, that the project is made a priority. I also ask the Minister of State to provide clarity on the timeline for when the school can proceed to the next stage.

Once again, I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to provide, on behalf of the Minister for education, an update to the House regarding the accommodation at Gort Community School. The Department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available for all school pupils and will, in the wider context outlined, ensure that each school project on the school building programme is subject to the due diligence required under the Government's infrastructure guidelines. Since 2020 the Department has provided €256.55 million in capital funding for Galway schools. Over this period a total of 88 schools have been upgraded either through the provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or modular accommodation. There are currently 17 school projects in Galway under construction and another ten school projects will go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027. This summer, 20 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the climate summer works scheme. In addition, since 2020 a total of 101 special classes have been opened in Galway, of which 23 were sanctioned for September 2026. The accommodation needs at this school in Gort will be considered as part of the ongoing overall Department-led prioritisation process in consultation with the school's patron and school authorities. The current status of all projects continues to be set out under item 10 on the Department's website under building works for the construction, extension and refurbishment of schools. This is updated regularly to reflect progress through the capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction stages. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, is aware of the situation in Gort, not just from having visited there personally but from Deputy O'Hara's ongoing advocacy and that of other Members in the area. I will bring the contents of this debate to her attention and ensure that the pertinent points are made. I thank Deputy O'Hara again for raising this issue.