2026-04-22

We are talking about two schools here - the junior and senior schools. All the TDs in the constituency have visited the schools, and we are all of the same mind that work needs to move ahead. In 2011, the Department agreed to two extensions to the junior and senior schools. In 2014, there was a visit to the schools, and the Department felt it was necessary for a rebuild. Ever since, the school authorities have been trying to get the schools built. There is mould, water running down walls, water dripping from the ceiling and tiles collapsing, and the list goes on. Clearly, it is not an ideal situation for hundreds of school children and their teachers in the school. What we are looking for is action relation to this. It has gone on long enough. The parents and school community feel they have been let down and left behind. It just shows how long it takes for a new build to be built. The Department said that it was necessary for this to happen.

This is very simple. The school building, as it is, is simply not fit for continued use. There are serious health and safety concerns. When we visited there was very clearly water still coming through and sitting on top of tiles. You could see water coming in beside an interactive electric panel, which clearly represented a danger. A couple of years ago there was a partial ceiling collapse while children were in a class. There is mould. It is simply not suitable as it is. What is frustrating is this was recognised in May 2014. An architect appointed by the Department of education recommended a complete rebuild for both schools yet we still do not have substantial progress. This has been a real saga, the latest step being in July of last year when full 2a plans were submitted by the school. It still has no formal acknowledgement of that or a timeline for that. We know the Department got it. I asked the officials at the public accounts committee last week and they acknowledged they have it but it is simply not acceptable. The school is looking for a meeting with the Minister and the officials to map out a timeline to ensure these children get a suitable school building as soon as possible.

As my colleagues have said, there are three of us here from the constituency but it is fair to say the five TDs in our constituency support the school in this regard. There is a short-term and long-term need in the school. The short-term need is to get an emergency grant to fix this roof, which is badly leaking. Almost daily water is dripping into classrooms and leaving pools. When we were there one of the classrooms was referred to as the Amazon rainforest by the students because of the rain coming down. There are buckets in classrooms and it is destroying the children's work, at times. Teachers cannot have any desks in that area. The panels on the roof collapsed on parents during a parent-teacher meeting. It is happening during school hours and the management cannot really predict where these collapses are going to happen. In the short term the roof needs to be done. As for the longer term, the Department approached the school in 2011 about adding 20 new classrooms. After three years, the Department's architect suggested a whole new rebuild. As Deputy Murphy said, that was in 2014. We are 12 years on from that and the school just wants to push the project along and that is what it is looking for now.

I thank the Deputies for raising the issue. I compliment them as constituency TDs because nearly every issue they raise is done on a cross-party basis. It is great to see it because education is so important. It is very important to be unified. We have had a number of issues with the Deputies we are working on but it is important to acknowledge the co-operation they have on this. This shows me the challenges there are in relation to the school and the decision that was taken. A major project for the school was to build 20 mainstream classrooms along with additional classrooms for special education needs and associated work. This project is currently at stage 2a of architectural planning, where the preferred design option is developed to a stage where the project can be fully cost planned, and prepared to lodge for statutory approvals. The Department received that submission in July 2025 and a detailed review is ongoing. Part of the submission review will include a stakeholders meeting between the school authorities, design team and project manager, which will be held once the stage 2a report has been reviewed. It is important because that is the crucial piece. We have that report a number of months at this stage and, as Deputy Murphy quite rightly said, the officials confirmed to him we have it, so we need to move that on to the next stage. What is exasperating people in many of the questions I am answering here on an ongoing basis is the delay in getting school buildings beyond the design and the initial thoughts. The Deputies have demonstrated quite clearly there is need for this school and the Department has accepted it going back over a decade or so. It is important we move with the submission that is there. On the immediate issue with the roof, I wish to clarify if there is an application in for emergency works for that. I will endeavour to go back to that application to see where that is at rather than give lip service to it in the Chamber. I understand the seriousness of it because of the co-operation between the Deputies. I will endeavour to find out where the submission is at, how soon we can get that reviewed and on to all the stakeholders. There is a lot of detailed planning that goes in to ensure we are getting the best possible outcome. The Government has committed a huge amount of funding over the past number of years and into the future to school buildings across the country. At school visits I have made, we have often see there are major challenges with the buildings. I will go back to the Department and ensure the submission received in July is reviewed in a timely manner and that engagement is brought back to the stakeholders, including the school authorities, project manager and so on. I will endeavour as well to ensure I can report back to the three Deputies on where the current application for emergency works is.

The school's most optimistic expectation is that it will take more than four years from the green light through to completion. Can we really stand here and say we cannot build two sets of classrooms and a new school within 12 years? It is just not acceptable. Children in Tallaght are being left behind. That is clearly what is happening. What message does that send to the children in these schools that it has taken 12 years? The Minister of State talks of repairing the roof but it is not repairable. That is what the school is telling us. It is unacceptable. We need some action here. We are asking for at least a meeting with the Minister and the officials.

There is lots in the roof report carried out by Morris Roofing and Cladding. The key point is the roof has gone beyond economic repair due to its nearly 50 years of age. The fundamental problem is the school is over 50 years old and needs a new replacement building. That is not just the opinion of some teachers, students or parents but of the architect originally appointed by the Department 12 years ago. There is an additional issue in that when the new school building opens, there will be 36 extra places in special classes, which obviously for the children in the area, and for the Minister of State given his particular responsibilities, is an extra reason to get this happening as quickly as possible. I re-emphasise the point about a meeting with the Minister and officials.

The principal and staff of the school are doing a brilliant job and it is a fabulous school. It is a big school in Old Bawn. There are about 700 or 800 students in it. It is lucky the school has a big site where it will be possible to build the new school at the same time as keeping the existing building going and doing it in phases without the need for additional funding for modular or temporary accommodation for the students. The school can do this project with relative ease on its existing site. We call again for a meeting with the Minister and Department officials to get this thing moving. We all know it has been delayed for too long and there is a real, urgent need here.

With any funding going in from the State to new schools and buildings, it is important we have the special education part of it as well. That is a decision that has been taken by us in the Department to ensure we are accommodating children with additional needs within any new build. I take the point it has been 12 years. There was mention of 2011 and 2014. It has been too long. There is a report in with the Department and I will endeavour to find out where that is at. I also take the point that sometimes we spend an awful lot of time, effort and money to try to patch something up while we are waiting for the essential build. Deputy Crowe mentioned four years until completion. You are looking at a number of cohorts of students who started out thinking this would be completed by the time they were completing school and then it takes another round of students to go through the process again. I will look to have a meeting and serious engagement with the Deputies and the Department of education to ensure we can prioritise this and make sure any road blocks that are in the way are moved but also that we understand the challenges. Right across Dublin it is great to see schools that have space because we are really challenged with space in a lot of Dublin school communities. However, there is space here so we need utilise it and ensure we do that. I will endeavour to find out what is happening with the report that is with the Department since July 2025. I will also endeavour to undertake the Deputies' request. I thank them very much.