Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 March 2019
11. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a schedule of accommodation will be provided to a school (details supplied) further to officials from his Department meeting with the school in October 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10781/19]
View answerMy question asks the Minister for Education and Skills when a schedule of accommodation will be provided to Bunclody VC. I appreciate that the schedule has now been provided but perhaps the Minister will give an update.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne na ceiste. Mar atá a fhios ag an Teachta, tá dul chun cinn déanta. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project to which he refers has now been devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board, WWETB. A schedule of accommodation has been provided to WWETB in that respect and I understand that WWETB has provided a copy to the school principal.
The next step in the process of engagement with WWETB is the execution of a service level agreement, SLA, between it and my Department. This is currently being arranged. Once this SLA is in place, WWETB can then begin the process of procuring a design team for the project to design the buildings, obtain the necessary statutory planning permissions and move the project onward to tender and construction in due course.
I acknowledge the efforts, both political and civic, that have been made on this project. I have had a lot of contact on the matter and a lot of communications. Colleagues of Deputy Browne, such as Deputies D'Arcy and Kehoe, have been anxious to see this project realised and I thank everybody for the pressure they put on to ensure it happened.
I raise the issue because of the need for the major extension works at Bunclody VC. It is a school of 168 students with significant growth potential and it has a hard-working school principal, namely, James Murphy. It has a wonderful teaching staff, an excellent board of management and an active parents' council. The school has a very strong student-centred approach and a very strong and progressive approach to mental health, something I appreciate as my party's mental health spokesperson. The school principal has a number of ideas in this area and has approached the Department of Education and Skills with them.
I was in the school a few weeks ago and saw a dozen portakabins there. For years, children have had to walk long distances in the rain to go from class to class so I very much welcome the fact that a schedule of works is now being provided. Can the Minister give a timeline for building the extension? There is a scar in the Enniscorthy district from St. Patrick's special school - there was an announcement in December 2016 that the school was about to be built but a shovel was not put in the ground for two and a half years. I hope that is not the case in Bunclody.
I cannot give a timeframe because of the planning permission process. I hope the proposals get through that process and I know the Deputy will be speaking to his colleagues on the ground about it. I was speaking to the CEO of Wexford County Council yesterday. There is a good team at local authority level and I am sure their vigilance will be second to none so that it gets through the process. Until we get to the other end of the planning process, I am not in a position to give a start date for construction.
I thank the Minister; I appreciate that. I am the chair of a board of management myself, that of the Educate Together national school in Wexford town. Our own school is going to the planning and design phase. I know the Minister was in Gorey a week and a half ago where he met school principals and some representatives. Will he set out briefly the position in respect of a secondary school in Gorey? There are sufficient places at present but a bubble is coming in approximately two years and parents in Riverchapel and Gorey town are very concerned.
The Deputy is right. There is an anxiety with regard to the situation a few years down the line. The problem will not necessarily arise this year or next but in three or four years. Gorey community school is at maximum capacity at the moment. I had an opportunity to visit Creagh College, which has a fine new building. We were talking about autism earlier. There are four special classes in Creagh College. It will possibly have 800 pupils in the not too distant future. It has capacity for 1,000, which can be extended to 1,200. We will be very vigilant. I have asked my officials to look at the future population projections. I hear that a large number of applications for planning permission are being made for the development of housing estates. The principals I met were very anxious that we look at some form of engagement in this regard. I am happy to do that. I do not know what the preferred solution will be. It may be to build extra capacity or an additional school. I will, however, continue to engage on that issue. Gorey is now only an hour from this city and people from this city are considering purchasing houses there. We are looking at an increased population.
