I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, to the House on this Thursday morning.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Sport and Recreational Development
It is great to have the Minister of State present to discuss Garrylucas and the world-class outdoor water-based activity centre that was proposed in 2021. The Minister’s announcement that day that she was going to put funding aside for as many as 19 or 20 such activity centres was a significant development. I will speak to the one proposed for Garrylucas. The idea that there would be significant investment in Garrettstown was welcome. The area is a world-renowned location and has everything going for it. Kinsale is 4 miles or 5 miles away and the area is used 12 months of the year. We saw the proposal to put a world-class outdoor water-based activity centre there as a fantastic moment and a move in the right direction.
Unfortunately, the proposal went astray and things went wrong for us. I am trying to work out exactly what happened. Of all the activity centres, only two did not proceed – one in Clare and the other in west Cork. There has been no explanation for the development at Garrylucas in Cork South-West not going ahead. There were only to be two centres in County Cork, one of them being in Youghal, and you could argue that Youghal is nearly in Waterford. Now, there will be none in the county on the so-called Wild Atlantic Way.
I am disturbed by how this proposal has not progressed. Geographically, it needs to move forward. The location was perfect and it was a great initiative that thought outside the box. I have four kids and we go to the beach often. It is a wonderful amenity, so we need to build the centre and ensure it is accessible. By “accessible”, I mean there need to be changing areas and toilets. This is basic stuff. The Minister of State is from a similar part of the world and knows the advantage of having a beach. Having amenities like toilets beside it is especially important.
I do not understand what happened to this major proposal, which was going to be a game-changer for us. I spoke to people in Kinsale. The tourism industry there was delighted, given the centre’s 12-months-per-year element. It would have made their industry more viable and more sustainable, as increasing the number of people using natural amenities like our beaches increases our tourism potential.
This was a missed opportunity. We need to know what went wrong and where it failed, and we need to know how we can get it back on the rails again and move it forward. The replies I have received make no comment of why the proposal was shelved. The one in Clare was shelved because of a planning issue, but according to the Department, we have no idea as to why the one at Garrylucas was shelved. The Minister of State might be able to shed light on the issue. The majority of the centres have progressed. The one in Clare has not because of a planning condition that the council could not solve. We need to know what happened to the centre at Garrylucas and what we can do to ensure we can get it back on the agenda.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for his welcome this morning.
I thank Senator Lombard for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. As the Senator has said, the second platform for growth scheme was launched by Fáilte Ireland in January 2020. The call was directed at local authorities. It was aimed to develop facilities at waterside locations, such as Garrylucas.
In April 2021, €19 million worth of investment was announced for this platform to allow the development of world-class centres at locations across the country where water-based activities would be a key visitor attraction. Senator Lombard has outlined the rationale and the attraction of that in relation to Garrylucas, an area that I know, having spent many summers in Ballinspittle and Garrettstown.
I understand that Cork County Council has opted not to proceed with the facility at Garrylucas. This is as a result of potential issues and concerns around the provision of a stand-alone wastewater treatment system in a sensitive site adjacent to a blue flag beach. I am informed that concerns were also raised by Irish Water in respect of taking in charge any specific wastewater infrastructure at this location.
The project at Claycastle, Youghal, is proceeding through Cork County Council. It is working to progress a planning application. In this regard, I am informed that a foreshore licence has been lodged with the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority. It is hoped to progress this project by the end of this year.
However, Senator Lombard's primary focus is on Garrylucas. It is a matter for Cork County Council. The decision not to proceed with the facility is primarily as I set out but I am more than happy to engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, on the Senator's behalf around this if the Senator has information that is different from what is here.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is unbelievable to think that an Irish Water issue, a lack of finding an ability to sort out the sewage treatment in that location, is the issue that obliges us to shelve this project. We have huge issues with all our beaches because we have no toilets there. How a local authority of the size and nature of Cork County Council cannot sort out its own wastewater treatment issues regarding this is beyond belief. When one is getting a €19 million project to do huge developments on all these beaches, one makes the proposal, gets the grant and then realises one cannot build it, it is chaotic.
I would be really disappointed - I take the Minister of State's word - that why it has failed is because Cork County Council is lacking in solving the wastewater treatment issue. There are mechanisms, means and other ways around this. If Irish Water does not take it in charge, surely an entity such as Cork County Council can take it up and run with it.
The people of Ballinspittle, the people of Courceys parish, deserve better than this. We have issues within Ballinspittle village where a wastewater treatment problem is a problem. This entire issue of lack of wastewater treatment plant seems to be dogging that part of the world
I will directly go back to the county manager about this issue. I cannot understand how we cannot find a solution. It is nonsensical that a local authority cannot solve its own issues regarding wastewater treatment. It is unbelievable.
I note the frustration of the people in the Courceys parish, Ballinspittle and in Garrylucas, Garrettstown. These people want to make sure this amenity can be enhanced, can go forward and can be developed. The entire region wants it to go forward and to develop and to have Cork County Council now become the stumbling block is outrageous.
I will directly talk to the CEO of Cork County Council about this. We cannot have money coming from national government not being drawn down because we cannot get our house in order. That is effectively what is happening here.
We are on about no amenity of this nature being put on the Wild Atlantic Way in Cork county. We have the longest coastline in Ireland and we have no amenity of this nature put on the Wild Atlantic Way. It does not make sense.
My frustration is beyond belief. I will directly talk to the CEO. I ask the Minister of State to correspond directly with the CEO as well to see whether a solution can be found here. If we cannot put our heads together and solve this, God help us.
I share the Senator's frustration. I am familiar with these projects. I have seen one just beside me, albeit in County Sligo, and one in Mayo. They have been complex to deliver.
If the Senator wants to engage with the CEO of Cork County Council, as I said, the two reasons that I have been given here are in relation to a stand-alone wastewater treatment system and Irish Water's concerns about taking in charge any specific wastewater infrastructure. Therefore, there are two issues but they both go back to the local authority.
The local authority made the application in the first place. I presume, in making the application, it knows the area better. The Department funded the application. The Department still wants to invest in these centres.
Certainly, the Senator may come back to me. As I said, I know the area. It would be a great addition to the area and I would be happy to work with it. I am happy to give the Senator this paragraph that he will be able to use in his discussions with the CEO. If there is nothing on the Wild Atlantic Way in Cork, they can always come to Mayo.
I wish to inform the House that Senator Fitzpatrick has withdrawn her Commencement matter and, therefore, it will not be taken now. As Senator Malcolm Byrne is delayed, I ask the Acting Leader to propose the suspension of the House until 9.55 a.m. I apologise to the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, for the inconvenience.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 9.46 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 9.55 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 9.46 a.m. and resumed at 9.55 a.m.
Schools Building Projects
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, for facilitating that sos.
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. Given the rapid growth in population in Ireland, one of our key requirements is to ensure that we have an adequate number of school places at primary and second levels. I am aware that there is a forward-planning unit within the Department. My question is to look at how that unit operates, particularly in terms of looking at areas where there will be high population growth over the coming period. I am specifically asking to look at where the Department sees the need for school places between now and 2030 and the criteria it will use in that regard. I have a specific interest in north Wexford and south Wicklow, which are areas of high growth. For instance, in the intercensal period between 2016 and 2022, the Gorey local electoral area had population growth of 14%, in comparison with the national average of 8%. In the case of Arklow, where the Government has now delivered on the wastewater treatment plant, which will allow for the expansion of the Arklow area, rapid growth in terms of housing and, consequently, population will be seen over the coming years.
As regards my experience with the Department, in the late noughties I was involved with a campaign - I did not run it - involving Gorey Community School, the largest second level school in the country, which was overcrowded. That led to the creation of Creagh College, which ultimately became a 1,000-pupil school. It was sanctioned by the then Minister, Batt O'Keeffe. I was predicting, however, that by 2015 we would need another school. The Department said, "No, no, you are wrong. We have already provided it." Looking at census statistics and figures on the ground, however, we saw that it was the case, and four years ago, the Minister, Deputy Foley, did sanction an extra second level school, Gorey Educate Together Secondary School.
All three second level schools in Gorey are doing well, but I have no doubt, given projected population growth and the fact that in the Gorey area alone, between houses under construction, those with planning permission and those where developers have long-term plans, there are 3,000 homes in the pipeline. My argument is that even if only half those are built, and on the basis of one child in each of those homes, that will result in a very big demand for both primary school places and second level places. There is very clearly within Gorey town already a demand either for a significant expansion of the existing primary schools or that we look at a sixth national school.
In the case of Arklow, I have raised regularly with the Minister, Deputy Foley, the long-running case of a new site for the Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste. I hope that impasse is resolved soon. These are excellent schools but they need a new site. I am looking in particular to the likely growth that will happen in the town now as a result of the planned expansion. I use that only as an example, but we have seen rapid growth in our population over recent years. The Department, I think, at times takes the view that this will plateau. It does not. It may in certain parts of the country, but in other areas - and I am talking in particular about the greater commuter belt around Dublin - we continue to experience rapid growth.
What I want to know, therefore, is what level of planning the Department has in place and where it sees the growth happening between now and 2030.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an issue seo a chur os ár gcomhair.
As the Senator knows, in order to plan for school provision and to analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas.
It uses a geographic information system which facilitates the analysis of data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
As part of the demographic demand analysis, the Department also factors in planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO, along with engagement with local authorities. This ensures that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes at local level, where the picture can quickly evolve due to planned new residential development.
The 2023 demographic exercise indicates that 79% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2027 compared with 2022. At post-primary level, some 78% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2030, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.
The Department also conducts granular analysis below the level of a school planning area, particularly where a school planning area encompasses both high-growth urban settlement areas and a more rural hinterland, which might be similar to Gorey and Arklow. The analysis of school place demand in urban areas experiencing high population growth has indicated that demand in the urban area can be 10% to 20% higher than the school planning area as a whole.
To ensure alignment of school provision with roll-out of additional residential development, the Department liaises with all 31 local authorities in respect of the county development plans and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas. The Department engages with all consultation phases of these plans to ensure that there is an adequate amount of appropriately zoned and suitably located sites for future school place provision and that they are in line with objectives as identified in the national planning framework. Department officials made 61 submissions in respect of county development plans and local area plans in 2023. In addition the Department is awaiting updated regional population projections data from the national planning framework review; this will future inform future school place requirements.
In the context of Gorey and Arklow, the towns referenced by the Senator, there are a number of live school capital projects which will provide additional capacity that will assist in meeting the future demand for school places.
I thank the Minister of State. I am always heartened when I hear that the Department is having regard to local area plans and national plans. As he is well aware, however, just because the Office of the Planning Regulator and the national planning framework state that a particular location is where population growth will happen does not mean that is always the case. I want to avoid a situation whereby communities must actively campaign in the context of overcrowded schools or circumstances where children cannot get school places. There should always be a guarantee that a child will be able to attain a school place within their local community. There is a big concern in what we might call the greater Dublin commuter belt that this is not happening. My concerns relate specifically to Gorey, where the Department is constantly playing catch-up. We must have regard to circumstances on the ground.
I meant to state at the outset that I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley, who has been very focused on school building. There has been record school capital investment during her tenure. There has been engagement by the Department in respect of county development plans and local area plans and, more specifically in the context of Gorey and Arklow, with plans below these at a granular level that have a focus on rapidly growing towns that have rural hinterlands and finding solutions for the challenges they face. I have no doubt that the Minister will continue to engage with the Senator on his representations in relation to Gorey and Arklow.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.04
a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.30 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.04 a.m. and resumed at 10.30 a.m.