Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for choosing this matter. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of education, Deputy Moynihan, and thank him for coming here this morning.

I would like to acknowledge the national development plan investment package for education of some €1.6 billion, which is part of a €7.6 billion capital plan up to 2030. I also acknowledge the investment in four schools in Galway West and the ten across County Galway. The four in Galway West are St. Joseph’s Special School, Scoil Mhuire in Maigh Cuilinn, Clifden Community College and Coláiste Cholmcille in Indreabhán.

Understandably, there is always disappointment among schools that are not included on these lists. I have been through this many times in the past when lists have been produced. One such school project is St. Joseph's Patrician College, Galway, which is better known as the Bish. The Bish is an excellent school. It is held in high regard, and Bish boys past and present are rightly proud of their school. The school worked for many years on the relocation plans relating to a new 1,000-student campus in Dangan, which received planning permission in 2024. Currently, the Bish educates 750 boys on a site that is constrained and that was designed for 450 pupils. There are no outdoor sports facilities. The school is in the heart of the city. It is difficult to provide specialist teaching spaces, student support and special education needs facilities, which, as the Minister of State knows, are now standard and expected. For the 2026-27 academic year, the school was oversubscribed by 250 places. That is testament to the high regard in which the school is held.

In light of demographic changes, there is obviously a growing demand for secondary school places nationwide. In Galway city, there definitely is such a demand. Under a land exchange agreement with the University of Galway, the school secured the Dangan site in exchange for the lands at Nun’s Island, which would be strategic in the heart of the city. This is a key enabling element of the university's regeneration plans for major city centre development. Tá chuile duine sa Bish fíor-mhíshásta nach bhfuil an scoil ar an liosta a d’fhoilsigh an Roinn an tseachtain seo chaite. Tá cead pleanála faighte aici agus tá suíomh aici freisin. Tá éileamh do ranganna breise sa chóras dara leibhéal i nGaillimh. Tá buntáiste mór don chathair agus Ollscoil na Gaillimhe leis na pleananna atá aontaithe chun an Bish a aistriú ó Nun’s Island go dtí Dangan agus an talamh in Nun’s Island a thabhairt don ollscoil.

I acknowledge the advocacy the school has engaged in over the years in terms of the planning process and in garnering the support of local representatives. I have been contacted by the chairperson of the board of management, Mr. Kieran Kavanagh, the principal, Ms Sarah Gleeson, and the parents' council co-chair, Ms Stephanie Rea, who are obviously disappointed that the school is not on the list. This disappointment is shared by many parents and pupils and, indeed, those who hope to attend the Bish over the coming years.

I know that new schools are expensive. I get that there is not an endless supply of funding. Is the list that has been produced the final say for the next two years? Will there be additions? Will further capital be released from the Minister of State's Department? Will his Department be working with the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Harris, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Deputy Chambers, to secure additional capital funds for projects such as this? I am sure the Minister of State could list off a number of schools in his area and others across the country. I look forward to his response.

I thank Senator Kyne for raising the matter. It gives me an opportunity to brief Seanad Éireann on the current position in relation to St. Joseph’s Patrician College, or the Bish, in Galway. The Senator is well aware that this was approved as a major devolved construction project to provide a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils and a four-classroom special educational needs base. It has been devolved for delivery to the Le Chéile Schools Trust. The senior Minister, Deputy Naughton, is very supportive of this project.

The project is currently at stage 2b of the architectural design process. This stage allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining necessary statutory permissions and preparing for the tender documents. I know the Senator has been working very closely with the school and, as he alluded to, other representatives as well. The planning has been granted, and the Le Chéile Schools Trust has advised that the Stage 2b report is expected to be submitted by the end of quarter 1 of this year. Once received, it will undergo a detailed technical and cost review in line with the public spending code. Managing timing, scope and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall programme. The Senator will be aware, as he alluded to in his comments, that the Department published its €7.55 billion national development plan sectoral investment plan for education for the period 2026 to 2030. The plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. Everybody understands at this stage that we will be advancing special education as a major issue within this.

To cut to the chase, a huge amount of work has been done on this project on the ground with Department officials and Ministers over a number of years to bring it to fruition. The major development construction project is there. It is important that the school authorities submit the stage 2b architectural design report. As I alluded to, that will be in quarter 1. They should make sure that there is no delay in this regard. I know the Senator will be working with the school community to ensure that as well. We will be working to go through the various processes in the Department when it comes through. The Department is well aware of the challenges and the need to make sure we are getting value for money. This project has been under discussion for quite some time. We announced the first tranche of schools in the Department last week. There will be ongoing engagement right across Government in this regard. In relation to the Bish, or St. Joseph's, it is important that there is no delay. When details are received within the Department, the matter will be looked at, particularly in light of the pressures that exist within the community in Galway.

I have answered a number of questions in Seanad Éireann over the past while in terms of the growing demand for school places in Galway.

We are acutely aware of it. It is important that there is no delay. I assure the Senator that it will be given serious consideration when the relevant documentation is submitted to the Department.

I thank the Minister of State for the response. I am heartened by the fact that the Government will engage on projects such as this one. There are always projects which, for whatever reason, either fall off a list or are delayed. Money may be freed up as a result. There is capacity within the system, and I will certainly be working with the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Harris, to ensure that additional capital funding is released. I urge the Tánaiste to engage with the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, in order to ensure that capital funding is released for projects once they get to the appropriate stage. I appreciate that there is some work to be done yet in terms of the Bish, but it has secured planning permission. It now has to get the stage 2b approval by the Department of education. I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, will work with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, who represents the Galway West constituency. I will be engaging with her, with the Tánaiste and with the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, to make sure that this and other projects move forward speedily towards construction.

I welcome Senator Kyne's engagement. It is hugely important that we continue, right across Government and the Oireachtas, to articulate the issues that are important to our communities, including those relating to the Bish. The Senator is right in saying that there is still some work to be done by the school community. That work needs to be done as a matter of urgency. The documentation to be submitted as part of the stage 2b process is very detailed but there are many great firms working with schools on them. It is important that this is done as a matter of urgency. The Senator's engagement on this will certainly help matters. The Department will work with him and the community, but it is most important that the 2b report is submitted. The Department will liaise back and forth with the school authorities, patron and management.

The Government has announced the first tranche of schools, which means that there is clear guidance as to what projects will be going ahead in the near future. It is our intention to review that continuously. It is important for school communities that are anxious to proceed with their projects to submit any outstanding documentation to the Department as soon as possible. The Department will work with school communities, but it must operate within financial constraints.

The Senator's engagement with the Tánaiste and the Ministers for public expenditure and for education will be helpful. We understand the need that exists out there and will be working to meet it. We had to give certainty as to what projects are going ahead in a timely fashion. We will work with schools on the other projects to make sure that their paperwork is in order. We fully understand the need for this project within the community in Galway.