I reiterate Senator O'Loughlin's welcoming of the national development plan sectoral plan for education of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, this morning. The plan published this morning outlines €7.55 billion in investment from 2026 to 2030. The big news for education this morning is that 105 projects are to progress to tender or construction phase between 2026 and 2027, totalling over €1.6 billion in investment, as part of the first tranche of the NDP roll-out. This will deliver 27,000 additional and modernised school places so it has to be strongly welcomed. The focus was on maximising additional capacity while prioritising project roll-out that met the most urgent need, particularly for support for special educational needs provision. It is a great day for education. It is a very welcome day.

Last Monday I was in Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe, in the company of Deputy Martin Daly, Deputy Kerrane and Councillor Alan Harney. We met with the board after they had been on Radio 1 last Friday talking about the urgent need for a decision and the need to meet the Minister about this. We had made substantial representations to the former Minister for education, Helen McEntee, and the current Minister, Hildegarde Naughton, and the message was well and truly heard in relation to Ballinasloe. I acknowledge that. Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe is a DEIS band 1 primary school with 32 staff and 300 pupils, catering for some of the most vulnerable children in our area facing extreme educational disadvantage. When we were talking about road safety yesterday, I mentioned a school that was on two sites and said students had to cross a busy road to get from one to the other. That is this very school in Ballinasloe, so it is great to see there is finally progress on this. I acknowledge former Senator Aisling Dolan, whose first Commencement matter, I believe, in 2021, was about progressing the school development project for Scoil an Chroí Naofa. In 2023 it finally got the final planning permission for that, and the work has started since then. We acknowledge the Minister for having listened.

A number of areas have benefited. Gurteen national school were here from Galway a few moments ago. Galway alone, since 2020, has benefited from €250-odd million invested in capital funding for school projects. It is great to see we are delivering this where it is most needed and maximising its use while ensuring that all students can reach their full potential with this investment.