I welcome the Minister, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, to the Chamber. She is most welcome, and I thank her for being here.

I thank the Minister for coming into the House to speak about a project that I know she is very familiar with. I acknowledge the significant announcement last January that included Scoil an Chroí Naofa among the 105 school projects prioritised to progress to tender for construction during 2026-27 as part of an initial investment of more than €1.6 billion by the Minister and her Department. I welcomed that announcement then, and I welcome it again today. I thank the Minister for her involvement in progressing that undertaking and making that announcement in January.

I also acknowledge another important development for the school this year, which was the inclusion in the DEIS plus programme. I have seen and heard about the impact the additional supports have already had on the children in Scoil an Chroí Naofa. This is a school dealing every day with the reality of socio-economic disadvantage and DEIS plus recognises that some schools face particularly concentrated levels of disadvantage and need additional supports to respond to that situation. I thank the Minister for recognising that need in Ballinasloe and, importantly, for giving the principal, Christine Connor, and her staff additional resources to support the work they are already doing for the children.

It also reinforces the argument, however, that the physical infrastructure in Scoil an Chroí Naofa needs to catch up with the investment we are making inside the classrooms. Today, approximately 300 students attend this DEIS plus school in the heart of Ballinasloe. It is an incredibly diverse and inclusive school community. I know the Minister is familiar with it and that she has seen the benefit of the environment the teaching staff have created in Scoil an Chroí Naofa.

The school is currently educating 21 nationalities. The staff are dealing with children from the Traveller community and with students who have autism and developmental language delays. Unfortunately, the staff are trying to do this in a building not currently fit for purpose. The school operates from two separate sites on opposite sides of the road. Children and staff have to cross a road during the school day, which I know the Minister saw first hand when we visited the school recently. As we were waiting for the students, we saw a full classroom of them crossing that road and coming over to the assembly area.

One of the buildings the school is operating from was built in 1937, and the other is from 1972. It was originally intended as a temporary building. Its inadequate insulation and ageing infrastructure mean that the capital costs of running the school are putting it at a distinct disadvantage. The school has done what it has been asked to do. The planning permission is in place and the project is designed. A new 16-classroom primary school with additional special education classrooms has been at stage 2B for quite some time. I know the Minister's Department has it down as dating from March 2025 but the history of this project goes back much further than that.

I acknowledge the work of the previous Senator from Ballinasloe in this House, Aisling Dolan. I acknowledge all the public representatives who have made representations on behalf of the school. Once again, I also acknowledge the Minister for listening, delivering on the DEIS plus inclusion and moving this project to the next stage. More importantly, however, I acknowledge Christine Connor, the board of management, the parents and the staff for their patience in respect of this matter.

The announcement in January gave them something they had been waiting for for a very long time: the certainty that the school was finally being prioritised. The Minister gave them that reassurance. We are now eight months further along, so my purpose this morning is to seek to provide a little bit of clarity to the school. It has won the argument and does not need to convince the Minister of this need for the project to go ahead.

The Government recognises the need. The Minister recognises the need. Even the Taoiseach has visited the school and recognised the need. The DEIS plus status is recognition of that, but we now need the building. What has happened since the project was announced in January? What remains to be completed before it can proceed to tender? Is there anything outstanding from the school or its design team that is preventing progress? More important, when can the pupils, parents and staff of Scoil an Chroí Naofa Galway expect the project to go to tender?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as aird a tharraingt ar an ábhar seo. Tugann sé deis dom plé a dhéanamh ar stádas reatha an tionscadail seo.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue regarding Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe, County Galway. I recently visited the school with the Senator and other Oireachtas Members and elected representatives. I saw first hand the fantastic work happening there, through principal Christine Connor, her leadership team, the staff, the board of management and parents. A huge amount of work, dedication and commitment was on display to me and I want to commend them on the great work they are doing.

As the Senator knows, the building project for the school is a 16-classroom primary school with three classrooms for special education needs. The major building project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, that is, stage 2B, detailed design. It includes an application for statutory approvals, which have been secured, and the preparation of tender documents. My Department received the stage 2B submission report from the design team in March 2025. A detailed review of the report by the multidisciplinary team commenced and comments subsequently issued to the design team requesting clarification. These comments have been addressed by the design team and the responses are currently undergoing a detailed review in my Department. Once the Department's due diligence and governance review has been completed, the project can be authorised to progress to the next stage, that is, stage 3, tender action and reward.

As part of the NDP implementation plan for the education and youth sector, a first tranche of projects to progress to tender or construction during this year and next was published in January 2026. The school was included as one of those 105 projects to proceed to tender. All school building projects over €10 million must be submitted for approval to the Department of public expenditure and reform before proceeding to construction. This school is one of a number of projects that will shortly be under review by the Department.

Since 2020, my Department, as Senator knows, has invested over €7 billion in our schools throughout the country under the NDP. Over 1,600 school building projects have been completed, along with 4,300 small scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency climate goals. A total capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth has been confirmed for 2026 to 2030. As previously mentioned, the school is among the first tranche of 105 projects to progress to tender and construction in 2026 and 2027. As part of the NDP allocation, my Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with additional needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. The project the Senator has raised caters for children with additional needs.

Since 2020, the Department has provided over €283 million in capital funding for schools in Galway. Over this period, a total of 98 schools have been upgraded through the provision of a new school building, extension, modular accommodation or a climate pathfinder. There were ten school projects included in the NDP implementation plan to progress to tender or construction, including this school. There are currently 17 large scale extension, modular or climate pathfinder projects under construction in Galway as well as other projects.

I thank the Minister. I have seen by her actions that she has prioritised this project. From working with her Government colleagues, we know they have prioritised this project.

We all know the need and this is a programme that the Government needs to deliver for Ballinasloe.

The Minister mentioned that the project is valued at over €10 million. Has the necessary approval from the Department of public expenditure been secured to allow the project to proceed to tender? If that approval has not yet been secured, what specifically needs to happen now to get the sign-off and move Scoil an Chroí Naofa to tender as quickly as possible so that Christine Connor, her staff and the students of Scoil an Chroí Naofa can see their new school realised as quickly as possible?

As the Senator will be aware, all schools over €10 million must be submitted to the Department of public expenditure and reform and that is where it is at at present. There is an absolute commitment by me, as Minister for Education and Youth, to ensure that Scoil an Chroí Naofa can move to tender and I expect that will happen shortly. The engagement with the Department of public expenditure and reform has been positive. I absolutely recognise the need and the urgency around this going to tender. The Senator mentioned the DEIS plus status, which is so important for schools such as Scoil an Chroí Naofa to complement and support the fantastic work that is happening by the school leadership and staff. This new state-of-the-art building is the next step in their journey. It is with the Department of public expenditure and reform, but I expect it will go to tender very shortly.