The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, is very welcome to the House.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Protected Disclosures
I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House. I ask him to make a statement on the publishing of the full protected disclosure investigation report on the Phoenix Park community nursing home, St. Mary's, in Dublin, the only nursing home run by the State during the Covid pandemic. I draw the Minister of State's attention to the fact that we have the HSE whistleblower, Margo, here today. We also have the family of one of the residents of St. Mary's, Eileen Delany, who passed away of Covid, sadly, during the pandemic crisis. Margo Hannon raised concerns in St. Mary's shortly after the outbreak of the pandemic, when we had An Taoiseach talk to us from the United States about the pandemic and the measures and the steps we would have to take. We all remember those momentous days in March 2020 when we went into lockdown. Margo was working on the front line in St. Mary's as a very experienced healthcare assistant, with 16 years' experience.
From the very outset, Margo Hannon had very serious concerns about infection control measures and the isolation of elderly and vulnerable patients who were being cared for by the State. They were at the very epicentre of the Covid-19 crisis. People should have known better than to put patients, our most venerable citizens, our elderly citizens, our mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, at risk, and put them into this vulnerable position. She raised concerns which were not acted on, so she had to make a protected disclosure for which she experienced reprisal and retaliation. That is a common experience in Ireland. One is punished for doing the right thing. On foot of her protected disclosure, a report was commissioned, which was supposed to be expedient but took two years. The report was 500 pages in length and has not been published. The family members were not consulted. It seems to have been the case, with this report, that the investigators consisted of two senior members of the HSE on a reporting panel. It was not independent, nor could it be seen to be independent. Essentially, to get to the nub of this, Ms Hannon identified shortcomings that were validated during the first Covid-19 wave but no action was taken on the concerns she raised. During the fourth wave of Covid-19 there were several fatalities in that nursing home. We know that this is part of a broader issue with regard to the concentration of elderly people in residential settings during the pandemic. We are going to have more pandemics. It is certain. That has been observed and predicted by the World Health Organization, WHO, and the HSE.
It is therefore essential this report be published in order that we can learn from the lessons and the issues raised by Ms Hannon, in order that other families do not end up losing precious loved ones, as Bernadette Delany and her son, Seán, here did. I am also thinking of other vulnerable citizens like my own son, people who are disabled and medically compromised. Why not publish this? Why not set out the findings and, critically, the recommendations to protect and save the lives of our most vulnerable citizens?
I am taking this on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. I recognise how incredibly difficult it is for the families who lost loved ones during the pandemic, which presented one of the greatest and most wide-ranging public health challenges internationally in recent history. I extend my sympathy to the Delany family - Senator Clonan mentioned that Bernadette and Seán are here - on the sad passing of their family member who passed away in the Phoenix Park Community Nursing Unit at St. Mary's Hospital, at that time. There is not a family who did not have somebody belonging to it pass away because of the Covid-19 situation. Every one of us feels this deeply. I share their grief and difficulty on that.
I also acknowledge the role of Ms Hannon, who made a number of observations. They were examined but not fully implemented. She was then forced to make a protected disclosure. I commend her on her strength and ability to do that. Many people will shy away from doing it. I believe the people who make such protected disclosures have to be protected by the State. I thank Senator Clonan for raising this matter. He indicated that Ms Hannon may have suffered because of making that protected disclosure. There should be clear mechanisms. There are mechanisms in place in order that an employer, be it an employer in the private or the public sector, should not be allowed to cause difficulty for any staff member solely because he or she made a protected disclosure. It is a fundamental aspect of protected disclosure that there is protection for the person who makes such a disclosure. I hope that matter, which is a separate issue but is really at the core of what we are talking about here, is followed up by whatever means are appropriate for Ms Hannon. Nobody wants a situation whereby people feel that if they make a protected disclosure, after long and careful consideration, they can be victimised in any way by their employer.
I support Margo Hannon in that regard and thank her for making that disclosure.
The protected disclosure made in 2020 raised issues relating to events in the community nursing home unit. At the outset of the pandemic, the HSE commissioned an independent team. Senator Clonan will say that because they were HSE staff, the team was not independent. He will also say that staff from the organisation who run the place that is involved are not independent because they are employees. I accept that, if that is the case. I am listening carefully to Senator Clonan on that. The team was independent of the specific unit, but it was not independent of the overall employer, which was the HSE. I take that point on board.
The investigation team completed a comprehensive executive summary for the HSE, which was published, as the Senator knows, in March of this year. The HSE has taken the decision not to publish the full report on the basis of its responsibility to balance the requirement for transparency with its obligation to the people - in this case, the residents, families and staff - whose sensitive information is contained within the full report. We have highlighted the dilemma here. Sometimes it is important to act on information that emerges on foot of protected disclosures and reports such as those in question. However, such information might cause difficulties for other people who are mentioned and who contributed to the process in confidence. Their wishes have to be respected too. There is a delicate balancing act here. It is not possible for everyone to be fully satisfied. However, the HSE provided an assurance that the comprehensive summary report that was published in relation to this protected disclosure fully represents the issues that were raised in the full report. Most of the findings of the investigation relate to infection prevention and control issues. The same issues were identified by the Covid-19 and nursing home expert panel in its report in August 2020.
I thank the Minister of State. He and I both know that the correct thing to do here is publish the report in full. It is 500 pages long, so a very small executive summary is not enough. What we are talking about here is an international standard. If a report is commissioned, then its findings and recommendations must be published in order that we can learn from them and contribute knowledge for the common good. This is in the public interest.
I note with some regret - and I do appreciate the Minister of State's remarks, which are on the record of the House - that there is the perception that this was not an independent report. The HSE and other State agencies have unfortunately been recidivist in not publishing the material. I had to write to the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, who is currently investigating another State agency for the withholding of information regarding vulnerable citizens. I intend to pursue the matter, and I will push for this.
I ask the Minister of State to prevail upon his colleagues in Cabinet and, in particular, the HSE to publish the full report, including its findings and recommendations, in order that we can protect families like the Delanys in the future and, moreover, protect people like Margo Hannon. We are talking about a whistleblower who did the right thing. Imagine a society that punishes people for doing the right thing. I have personal experience of it myself. Yet, this is a person who is attempting to save lives, and she is being punished. That is emblematic of the culture in the HSE. The Minister of State and I are determined to confront and challenge that.
I understand what the Senator is saying. I will definitely raise this matter with the Minister for Health in order to follow on the issues that have been raised. It is probably no good to say it in the context of the case in question, but a big lesson has been learned here. Before a report is commissioned and the terms of reference agreed and commenced, it is important that the person who makes a protected disclosure and who is part of the process will be consulted in order that they will know the outcome of any report that is produced. People must know at the beginning if certain things are never going to be published, even if the matters to which they relate are to be examined. It needs to be clearly documented that the categories of such information, if they are personal to individuals, cannot be published without their consent. That is fair enough.
I accept that they cannot publish the information. Yet, it is no good coming in here and raising that now. The fault was during the initial stages, when they were agreeing the format of what would be published. This was before the report was concluded. There is a lesson there more broadly than just regarding this particular case. It is a lesson for all public servants and bodies. I will raise this matter directly with the Minister later today.
Before we move on to Senator Gallagher, I acknowledge three young people from Clare who are here with us in the Gallery, namely, Mya O'Malley, Neila Ryan and Gateeva Rusk.
The three of them are welcome. I believe they are doing some important work with our colleague, Senator Garvey, on her important Private Member's Bill on youth mental health. We all know of the difficult challenges in youth mental health. The fact that they are inputting their experiences, considerations and what they are learning from their environment in County Clare directly into Senator Garvey's Private Member's Bill is extremely beneficial to the work we do in the House. I hope they have an enjoyable day here and that they find their engagements fruitful, useful and informative. They are welcome.
Pharmacy Services
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He will be aware that pharmacies are essential providers of healthcare in our communities and have the potential to do much more than they are currently doing in the context of a health system that is under pressure. However, community pharmacists feel they have been asked to provide more services on behalf of the State while receiving less money for doing so. They feel the viability of pharmacies is now being impacted. Since the introduction of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, FEMPI, Act 2009, the community pharmacy sector is the only healthcare sector that has not had any pay restoration. Pharmacists claim to be in a worse financial position now than when the cuts were made in 2009 as costs have increased rapidly in the intervening period. In other words, the community pharmacy sector has had a pay freeze for the past 15 years.
Pharmacists point out that revenue generated by pharmacies under community drug schemes has been reduced by 29% while the cost of providing a high-quality service has seen a 29% increase in expenditure and wages. Significant hikes in energy, utilities, rent, insurance and administration costs can be added to that. Reimbursement rates under community drug schemes have reduced by 24% and no longer cover the cost of dispensing an item, which has increased from €3.73 to €4.58. The consumer price index, CPI, has increased by 16% whereas the CPI for prescribed medicines has declined by 26%. One in ten community pharmacies, mainly rural ones, is lossmaking. Pharmacy is becoming a less attractive career choice, exacerbating the ongoing shortage of pharmacists when we need them most. Pharmacists are now seeking a restoration of dispensing fees to a flat fee model reimbursed at €6.50 per medicine. In 2009, pharmacies were paid an average dispensing fee of €6. The dispensing fee was cut and has not been restored, as the Minister of State will be aware. Pharmacists' pay needs to be restored in line with public sector pay arrangements and engagement is needed with the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, to discuss fees. We all know community pharmacies have provided an essential service to patients on behalf of the State. We do not have to look back any further than the Covid-19 pandemic to appreciate the service they provided. They were not found wanting when they were asked to take on additional responsibilities in the interests of patient care. They have been patient and deserve engagement on these issues for the benefit of the sector and in the interests of the patients they serve in our communities. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
I thank Senator Gallagher for raising the matter of the public pay and pensions legislation with regard to the community pharmacy sector and its future. I am speaking today on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly.
The Minister recognises the significant role community pharmacists play in the delivery of patient care. Community pharmacy is often one of the most accessible avenues to receiving such care and provides a vital link in our healthcare service by ensuring the safe supply of medicines to people. Medicines are the most common healthcare intervention and the use and complexity of medicines are increasing. Pharmacists are the healthcare professionals optimally placed by virtue of their training to ensure the rational and safe use of medicines by patients. The Minister also acknowledges the vital role that community pharmacy will play in the development and implementation of future healthcare service reform, especially regarding the aims and vision of Sláintecare.
The focus of Sláintecare is to develop primary and community care and make it possible for people to stay healthy in their homes and communities for as long as possible.
The Department is open to exploring any evidence-based, appropriately governed services delivered by appropriately trained professionals which will support this aim.
In this regard, various approaches to extending the scope of the practice of community pharmacists are being progressed by the Department. This includes the introduction of a minor ailments scheme and an enhanced role for pharmacists in the current contraception scheme for women.
The implementation of these necessitates engagement with a range of stakeholders and full consideration of all the relevant legislative and operational issues involved. The Department recognises the need for the availability and retention of pharmacists in order that they may continue to meet patient needs and play a full role in the development of an integrated healthcare service.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland is undertaking a project which aims to assess emerging risks to the continued availability of a professional pharmacy workforce within community and hospital pharmacy in Ireland. This will inform how and where pharmacists work, examine their perceptions of the sector and identify barriers to choosing to work in patient-facing roles.
The regulations governing the pharmacy fee structure are set out in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 and in SI 639 of 2019 - Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (Payments to Community Pharmacy Contractors) Regulations 2019 - which put the current fee structure in place with effect from January 2020. Under section 42 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, the pharmacy fee structure must be reviewed every third year after 2020. The Department is currently carrying out that review and Department officials are meeting with the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, later today in this specific regard. The Minister believes there is a real opportunity to work together with community pharmacists and other healthcare providers to make a significant difference to patients' outcomes. The pay freeze was introduced many years ago under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, FEMPI, Acts regime and it has been difficult for a long period up to when that matter was dealt with.
The Senator has mentioned the issue of the dispensing fees. The publicly funded service expansion should address unmet public healthcare needs, improve access to existing public health services and provide better value for money to all concerned.
Everybody here who has ever had a reason to collect a prescription and to talk to a pharmacist in order to collect something for themselves or for a family member knows of the advice and accessibility one can obtain in a pharmacy. One can walk in off the street and meet a pharmacist. They cannot change one's prescription or anything like that but they can give very good advice on one's healthcare. We all know how difficult, on some occasions, it is to get an appointment with a GP. Some people are now using the local pharmacist as a surrogate. They cannot prescribe or anything like that but their role has been increasing and that needs to be recognised.
I thank the Minister of State for his response to me. I welcome the fact that both bodies, namely, the Department of Health and the IPU, are meeting today. Hopefully, we will see some progress in that regard. It is estimated that on average there are 70 million patient-care interactions per annum with community pharmacies. This just shows how important they are within our communities. As the Minister of State outlined in his contribution, they are open seven days a week. At a time when it is difficult to get access to a GP, more and more people are turning to the pharmacist as a viable alternative, which I very much welcome. I also welcome the fact that negotiations are ongoing between the pharmacy unions and the Department of Health on expanding the role of the pharmacist vis-à-vis a minor ailments scheme and the increased accessibility of contraceptives for women. All those developments are welcome. We are lucky to have the pharmacies in our communities. It is important that we look after them and that they are viable because they provide an excellent service to the community.
I thank the Senator again for those further remarks. We look forward to progress being made at the discussions which are happening today.
I mentioned in passing earlier that regulations governing the pharmacy fee structure were made under the FEMPI legislation and that legislation expired at the end of 2019, thank God. Under the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 these regulations had to be replaced by 1 January 2020 in order to maintain a statutory basis for contractor payments and to prescribe the fees payable at that date. The current pharmacy fee structure was put in place by the 2017 regulations which came into effect on 1 January 2020.
That is why I mentioned that this must be reviewed every three years and it is to be hoped those negotiations are progressing well at this stage. Since then, the overall spend on fees paid to community pharmacists under the community drugs scheme has continued to rise year on year. The HSE's primary care reimbursement service online system shows that fees paid to pharmacies under the scheme ranged from €420 million in 2019 to €468 million last year.
Disability Services
I thank the Minister of State for being here today and I acknowledge the apology of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for her absence due to an unavoidable issue elsewhere.
I ask for an update on the children's therapy and assessment waiting lists and staff vacancies in County Louth children's disability network teams, CDNTs. As a public representative, the Minister of State knows this is one of the most heartbreaking issues we come across, that there are gorgeous, amazing little children who are not getting access to therapies, assessments and supports. It is so important to advocate for these children and their families. They should have equitable access to therapies for their children. Every child has a right to be healthy, and access to therapies plays a pivotal role in ensuring children with disabilities can lead a quality and fulfilling life and reach their potential. As a parent, all you want for your child is that they reach their potential and that they are happy. That is the goal. Due to a chaotic and fragmented system, we know children with additional needs are facing huge barriers and difficulties. They deserve timely and specialised attention and tailored therapies to overcome the challenges. Figures show that at the end of last year, 104 children under five years of age were waiting for more than a year for their first assessment for occupational therapy, and an unbelievable 564 children over five years old were waiting more than 12 months for their first assessment. Throughout the country we see the issue with staffing. I hope the Minister of State can give me an update on the staffing levels and vacancies in Louth. Previous reports suggest there is only half an occupational therapist when there should be six.
I want to give hope to parents and prove to them this State believes in all the children of the country. On 2 June 2022, we were informed by the Minister at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters that the HSE was developing a roadmap to bolster the progressing disability services, PDS, programme. Is there an update on that PDS roadmap and on how it will support families? At that meeting, various things were suggested by the Department, such as, for example, that there would be a pilot using groups such as the local Down's syndrome organisation to ease pressure on CDNTs, even if only for a defined period. Another suggestion was the temporary use of private providers where CDNTs were particularly restrained. This was also highlighted recently and supported by the Minister during a Dáil debate. There were suggestions of a temporary pausing of the individual family support plans until the CDNTs are more resourced, an expansion of the critical skills occupation list to include clinicians who will be recruited internationally, and scoping out what we can do to entice undergraduates to commit to working in the CDNTs after their graduation. The Department also said we could conduct some form of audit on how the PDS is being implemented throughout the country and have better communications with parents.
There seems to be an awful lot of energy put into reviews, scopes and temporary this and that. However, the children and the families do not seem to be gaining the benefits of the increased funding, the emphasis and the urgency this Government, especially the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is putting into this very important issue. I hope the Minister of State can update the House on some of those matters.
I thank Senator McGreehan for raising the issue of the waiting lists for therapists and assessments for children and staff vacancies in both north and south Louth as part of the children's disability network teams. As the Senator is aware, I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I am grateful to the Senator for raising it.
First, the Minister of State wishes to be completely clear that the development of any child with a disability to reach his or her full potential is of the utmost importance, and recognises that it is essential to ensure a timely and effective process that works for children, young people and families. The principle and importance of early intervention is recognised by both the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the HSE.
Additionally, the key focus of the HSE has been to develop a strategy for services that is above all child- and family-centred and reflective of the best national and international practice.
The progressing disability services programme has been challenging for many stakeholders, most importantly for children and young people using the service and their families. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is aware the challenges faced have resulted in unacceptable delays for families seeking to assess essential therapies for their children. She is clear and unequivocal she finds it unacceptable and that is why she has dedicated her time and energy to dealing with the issue. The Minister of State reiterates her unhappiness with the situation as well as her commitment to addressing it. I compliment her on her determined focus to deal with this issue.
On the children's disability services in Louth, I can inform the Seanad there are 29.8 whole-time equivalent posts allocated for the North Louth Children's Disability Network Team, of which 8.5 whole-time equivalent posts are vacant. That is a significant percentage. It is at least 30% vacancies in the area. These vacancies mean families are experiencing waiting times of between six and 18 months, depending on the discipline and ongoing demand. There are 31 whole-time equivalent posts allocated to the South Louth Children's Disability Network Team, of which 15 whole-time equivalent posts are vacant. That is a 50% rate of vacancy. This translates into waiting lists of up to 18 months for services, with additional disciplines also affected. The HSE recognises the recruitment challenge and is taking measures nationally to encourage recruitment and retention of staff in the CDNTs, including targeted national and international recruitment to include an agreed relocation allowance where appropriate, both apprentice and sponsorship programmes for therapy grades and employment of graduates as therapy assistants as they await their CORU registration.
I am conscious recruitment will be beneficial only if current staff are retained. Initiatives to support staff retention, such as training and development programmes, are also being implemented by the HSE. The HSE has provided funding for 600 additional posts in recent years to strengthen the capacity of these local teams to ensure services are provided. Vacancies are arising not because of a lack of funding but because of supply issues in the health and social care sectors for specialist therapy professionals. While recruitment and retention efforts proceed, the HSE is also driving a number of initiatives to reduce waiting times for children and families and providing the support they so urgently need, such as sourcing therapy assessment and interventions externally via private service providers. I think we have seen an increase in that in many areas recently. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is fully committed to pursuing every avenue in order to improve access and reduce waiting times for children seeking access to disability services in County Louth and across the country. The single biggest issue is recruitment and retention, which she is committed to working on, though there are time delays in that.
The Minister of State outlined a fairly depressing picture of staff vacancies in County Louth. I am aware the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is absolutely relentless and that it is also up to us to be relentless in this cause and in pushing the HSE to implement the recommendations of all these reviews and scoping exercises. We must work. The HSE has a responsibiltiy to pull out all the stops to hire staff. It has a responsibility to ensure those waiting lists are covered. If it is the case we go to private operators then so be it. We must do it. Children deserve the best and that is what we ask for as parents from the State. The Minister of State present sees this quite often in his constituency as well and he is a great advocate and supporter of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who has provided the HSE with the funding for these improvements. The HSE is now under the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It is about time the HSE looked at how it is not in line with the Department it is under not to provide these services to children and not to provide the proper staffing levels.
I thank Senator McGreehan for continuing to raise this issue. I have heard her speak about it several times and not just here in the Seanad today. Ensuring vulnerable children receive assessments and therapy services is of urgent importance. As I mentioned, the issue relates directly to vacancies across the network. The issue is being actively progressed by the HSE to maximise funding allocated by the Government in recent years for over 600 additional posts nationwide.
Improvements to waiting lists are dependent on suitable staffing levels. A range of measures designed to encourage staff recruitment and retention are being employed by the HSE to improve capacity. In addition, measures such as the development of new clinical guidance to replace preliminary team assessment and dedicated assessment teams are expected to provide enhanced capacity within the system ensuring access for families is improved. The measures being developed at national level and at local level in north and south Louth are expected to benefit families in the delivery of assessment of needs and therapeutic intervention. I agree with and reiterate the use of the private sector in the meantime until we get internal recruitment up to the level required. That should be prioritised immediately.
I know the Minister of State is leaving us now. I thank him for his time in the Seanad this afternoon.
Schools Building Projects
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and thank him for giving his time.
I thank the Minister of State for being here today, which is much appreciated.
My Commencement matter relates to Kilsheelan National School, which is a wonderful community school in a small village just outside Clonmel. People will be very familiar with Kilsheelan, which is a previous winner of Tidy Towns and comes very close to winning most years. It is a wonderful village right on the Suir blueway between Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. The school has more than 100 pupils with five teachers including a teaching principal, two special educational teachers, one shared teacher, one special needs assistant, SNA, one secretary and a cleaner and caretaker. The principal, Kevin Prendergast, has been doing incredible work in recent years in trying to modernise the school to the standards that we now expect from a top-class primary school. He has been fully supported by the wonderful board of management led by Seán Connolly.
This school was built in 1960 and had some additional building works in the 1980s. Essentially, since the 1980s there have been no improvements of any major scale. For the past 20 years two of its classrooms have been prefab classrooms. In 2020 it submitted an application to turn those two prefab classrooms into two mainstream classrooms with an additional special educational classroom. There have obviously been hold-ups owing to the Covid pandemic and, as with every project in the country, there has been a massive increase in costs. I am really happy that the Commencement matter has been taken today.
The school has been going through a tender process which was due to finish about two weeks ago but was actually extended until today, 20 June. The school will submit a tendering report to the Department of Education. While it cannot be done today, once that tendering process is put through by the principal in the board of management of Kilsheelan National School, my request is that the Department make a decision on that as quickly as possible. The conditions in the prefabs, which have been there for 20 years, are extremely poor. The prefabs have metal roofs and are poorly insulated. During the winter months children often complain of being cold. Teachers often have to do walks just to keep people warm. The cost of heating the place is fairly significant and much higher than with most schools.
All the principal and the board of management want to do for the community in Kilsheelan and the hinterland is to create and modernise a school to the standard we expect from all new schools that are built by the Minister of State's Department. It was only a couple of weeks ago the Taoiseach came to open a massive new school in Cahir. The classrooms in that school are incredible. All we want to do, and I know it is all the Minister of State and the Government want to do, is to give that to every child in the country. The principal, Mr. Kevin Prendergast, and his board of management want to do that. It has been approved by the Minister and the Department, which is important. They also want to ensure there are no hold-ups along the way.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a chur ar an gclár oibre. It gives me the opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the new building project for Kilsheelan National School, County Tipperary. It is a co-educational primary school and enrolment for the school in September 2022 was 96 pupils, of whom 56 were boys and 40 were girls.
I am pleased to advise the House, as the Senator has acknowledged, that approval was granted to the school authority for funding under the additional school accommodation scheme to build two mainstream classrooms with a user-assisted toilet and one special education teacher room. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery. The school appointed a design team to progress the project through the various stages of architectural design and delivery. The Department approved the school authority to tender for the delivery of the project in the second quarter of 2022. The school authority must now submit an architectural stage 3 tender report in line with the Department's requirements for approval to start construction. The Senator has referred to where the project is at. Officials in my Department were told by the principal what the Senator has told the House, that is, the project has recently been put out for tender. Once the stage 3 tender report has been received by the Department, it will be reviewed by officials and the school will be contacted directly. That is the procedure these matters must go through but I appreciate the urgency of the situation the Senator has outlined well.
I thank the Minister of State. In fairness, the principal and the school will acknowledge the good communication they have had with the Department and the Minister for Education. The real key for them is to ensure there is no hold-up and that once they send in the tender report, which the principal has said he will be doing following the end of the process today, things will move forward as quickly as possible. A principal and board of management get asked about these matters by parents all the time. When it is announced that a school building is being extended or new classrooms are being put in, the principal and board of management are constantly asked when it will happen and when construction will begin. They have to answer those questions. It is important. I appreciate that the Minister of State has given the reassurance that the Department is ready to make a decision once the principal and board of management put in their report, which they will do with immediate effect. I thank the Minister of State for that reassurance.
The Senator can tell the parents that a lot is happening here. There are normal procedural matters that must be attended to between the Department and the school. Be assured that the Department is fully committed to providing extra school accommodation to Kilsheelan National School. Be further assured that the officials in our Department will continue to work with the school authorities to ensure this important project for the wider school community will be delivered as quickly as possible, as the Senator and parents wish.
As my cousins' children attend the school in question, they will be delighted with this update from the Minister of State and the pending good news.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 1.44 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 2.02 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 1.44 p.m. and resumed at 2.02 p.m.