Schools Building Projects

95. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a full update on a proposed new school (details supplied). [74704/26]

I ask the Minister of State for a full update on the school building project for Owenabue Educate Together National School, based in Carrigaline, County Cork.

I understand that this is an issue on which Deputy McGrath has spent a huge amount of time, working with the school communities. The school building project at Owenabue Educate Together National School represents an important element of the Department of education's overall school building programme. The major project is being delivered under the Department's accelerated delivery of architectural planning and tendering programme, which uses a professional external project manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction. The project will deliver a new 16-classroom primary school and five classrooms for children with special educational needs. A 2.76 acre site at Janeville, Shannonpark, Carrigaline, was acquired by the Department for the permanent building in 2024. The project is currently at stage 1, preliminary design. During this stage, site factors and constraints are assessed, options are developed for delivery of the project, and a preferred option is identified. In late September, departmental officials were in contact with the school's acting principal to provide a project update. The current position is that departmental comments on the stage 1 addendum were issued in June 2026, via the project manager, for the design team's attention. Departmental officials are currently working on internal governance procedures to close out stage 1. All school building projects, as they progress through the pipeline, must undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the infrastructure guidelines and the capital works management framework.

I thank the Minister of State for the update on the project. This school is based in temporary accommodation at Herons Wood in Carrigaline. It is across two buildings, so it is a separated campus in that sense. The school opened its doors in 2020 and was in other temporary accommodation at that time, so it is in a second temporary accommodation at this stage. The parents, teachers and pupils desperately need some line of sight as to when this school building project will take place. I visited the school recently and it is really crammed in terms of space. It is unsuitable. The school - this is relevant to the Minister of State's responsibility for special education - provides significant services in the area of special education. It really needs to see this school project progress in order that stage 1 gets closed out as quickly as possible. It has been 14 months since the addendum report was issued by the design team, and the Department seems, frankly, to be dilly-dallying on that in not closing out stage 1 and moving this on to the next phase.

I will go back to the Department. It is crucial that stage 1 be closed out. I give a commitment to go back to the Department today and make sure that we are working on that. The Deputy has demonstrated quite clearly in conversations and correspondence with us the challenges within the school community to work effectively within the present accommodation. I know that the school is a huge advocate for special education as well, for which I admire it. We will work closely. This is a long-running issue. It is one we need to meet head-on in order that, as the stages come, we have no delays. I will report back to the Department and, on foot of that, report back to the Deputy.

I would appreciate if the Minister of State could go back to the Department and inject some urgency in closing out stage 1 of this project. I visited the school, and while the conditions there are unsuitable in terms of the space available, it provides outstanding educational services, particularly in the area of special education. All involved deserve some degree of certainty as to where this project is going. A very suitable site has been identified in the Janeville housing estate in Carrigaline. We really need to progress this project. Unfortunately, enrolment numbers in the school have been suffering because of the lack of certainty. That is very unfair on the principal, the other staff and all involved, including the board of management and so on, who are doing their level best to try to progress this school. The school opened its doors in 2020 and started out with the earlier years. As it has progressed, it has added the other classes every year. Shortly, it will have a full complement from junior infants through to sixth class. The space is not adequate where the school is and it simply will not be able to cater for the needs into the future. We need certainty, and I would appreciate if the Minister of State could take that message back and inject some urgency.

The Deputy's points about the progress are well made. The site has been identified. We now have to make sure that it moves speedily through the Department, given the concerns outlined. I will go back to the planning and building unit and relay the concerns the Deputy has spoken about, not just on the floor of the Dáil, but in conversation and correspondence with me. It is important that we close out stage 1 in a timely fashion and move on to the next stage because this is a huge investment that is hugely needed within the entire school community. I will endeavour to do that.