Carol Nolan demands timetable for long-overdue school project

Minister, last August I engaged with you in order to seek clarification in respect of a time frame, in respect of a school in Bóra Geisgulna Leicre, in Bóra Gaunt Diophilie, I would be very grateful if you could give me an update here today on this project which is long overdue and indeed needs to be brought to a successful conclusion at this point. Thank you very much Deputy, I want to acknowledge your engagement and your particular interest in the project, I am pleased to advise that the project on a greenfield site was approved for delivery by the department for the school in question, the project provides for four mainstream classrooms and one special education needs based under the department's timber modular framework, the site was transferred from Solace to the Minister for Education at nil cost in in line with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars regarding the transfer and disposal of state assets. The project has been devolved for delivery to the Leach Offaly Education and Training Board. Under the department's service level agreement, the LOETB and the ETB have responsibility for communicating progress on the project to the school authorities concerned. A design team was appointed to guide the project through the stages of architectural planning and tendering, with the ultimate goal of proceeding to construct construction in a timely manner. The project will employ the department's timber modular framework, which is manufactured to comply with the department's technical guidance documents available on the department's website. The project shall achieve a low embodied carbon footprint, which will meet or exceed 2030 targets contained within the RIAI 2030 climate challenge target metrics for schools, published in October 2021. The department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects. This was achieved again in 2022, notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. This is evidenced by the fact that there are currently 300 school building projects at construction stage and a further 1,000 at pre-construction stage, including the project referred to by the deputy. The department will continue to review its ongoing enrolment requirements for 2023 and the associated work programme. Thank you for your detailed response. It is welcoming to see that there is progress being made. However, I suppose I do want to state that it has been very frustrating for all involved in the school, for the school community, for the teachers, for the students, for the parents, because the school opened its store and it has been very frustrating for all involved in the school, for the school community, for the teachers, for the students, for the parents. And I think that there are a couple of different, for the students who are going to be able to visit the school in the school. While you have definitely outlined the progress there that is being made and I welcome that, I do feel that we owe it to the school to make sure that there is constant monitoring and that there is a timeframe put in place for each step that will follow after the planning process has concluded. I feel that it is only fair, it is only right, there is pressure on the school needs to be able to plan and it needs to be able to plan ahead obviously for increased demand, but I think that at this point that a timeframe with the steps and with when we are going to reach the end line, some sense of that needs to be given to the school and I think the only way to do that is to provide a timeframe and a schedule. As I say, I do acknowledge that there is engagement on Forest Patruna from the Department, but I think that it needs to be constant engagement, constant communication and everyone needs to be kept up to speed. Thank you very much Deputy. I want to acknowledge and appreciate your acknowledgement too that considerable progress has been made, the design team has been appointed and the project is currently at planning stage. These are all very positive landmarks for the school community. The project is also devolved to the ETB and the ETB are charged with the responsibility of informing the patrons of the progress of the project as it is ongoing. I want to acknowledge the importance of this project and I know that the school awaits it in anticipation and I absolutely accept that, but there is a very clear line of progress that needs to be followed, particularly in the area of planning. I want to acknowledge the work of the ETB in this regard given that it is devolved to them and we will move it with the priority that it can be moved, giving consideration to the various hurdles that it has to jump. I do want to acknowledge your personal interest in this. I want to acknowledge Sean Fleming, Barry Cown, Charlie Flanagan, everybody who has come to me in relation to this project and I know you have a particular interest too and I just do feel that the ETB will progress this as it is devolved to them and we would like to see it happen as quickly as possible. Thank you Minister, I appreciate that response and indeed your commitment to ensuring that this project does get over the line. I know that as you say things are in terms of conveyancing, it is at an advanced stage and that is certainly welcome. I have been raising this issue for many years here on the floor of this house, not just last year or the year before, but many years and I am committed to seeing this project over the line. But I think in terms of the information vacuum that does still exist at times in terms of timeframes and in terms of how things will move after the planning stage has concluded, I do feel, as I said to you earlier, that it would be only right that it is communicated to One Forest Patruna and to the ETB and to the school community about when they can expect this school to be built and open, because the lease is running out on the current accommodation again and, as I say, they are still left in limbo and it is seven years since they opened their doors. Thank you. I do appreciate and I want to acknowledge the excellence in terms of education that has been delivered here every single day. I do want to acknowledge that and I do want to acknowledge the expectation of school communities that we would deliver as quickly as we possibly can. I want to acknowledge from the ETB's point of view too, given that the project is devolved to them, that there are particular steps that have to be taken, whether it is in terms of the design, whether it is in terms of planning or whatever, and it is a positive that the decision in relation to planning is to be made at the end of this month. That is a particular landmark now and landmark moment for the development of the project going forward. It will be expedited as quickly as it possibly can. As I say, I want to acknowledge your personal commitment to the project, the personal commitment of deputies Cowan and Flanagan and Sean Fleming and it was remiss of me to also include Senator Pippa Hackett. I know the public reps, I know the community are hugely invested in this and I know the school community are hugely invested in this and it is, as I say, a landmark when the planning will be received in late February. Thank you. You You You You You