Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jun 2023

The Cathaoirleach has spoken eloquently for us all in the remarks he has made. I will not repeat them. He has expressed the view of everyone here.

I welcome to the House my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. Having sat on these benches with him, it is a great pleasure to see him back here as a Minister of State to answer this question. I have more than a passing interest-----

I should explain to our guests that we are dealing with Commencement matters. Senator Joe O'Reilly is from County Cavan and is raising a matter regarding a particular school in his area and district. As Tip O'Neill famously said, all politics is local and this is an example of it. Senator O'Reilly is a fine public representative.

This is a great exemplar of what Tip O'Neill spoke about, all right. I thank the Cathaoirleach. I have more than a passing interest in this question as I am a very proud past pupil of the school in question. It is one of the wonderful schools in our area.

If I may make a quick aside, during the Troubles, the violence and conflict in Northern Ireland, over the years, this school, which was mixed with regard to religion, social class and geographical spread, was a very significant factor in maintaining good community relationships on this side of the Border, preventing a spillover of violence and eliminating sectarianism, because people learned to live with each other on the same campus. The Minister of State has a very good comprehensive school in Limerick, which follows the same model. It does not have the same function there but it does have the same philosophy.

In essence, what the school needs is a new gymnasium. The reason it needs a new gymnasium is that it is currently using a general purpose hall for PE. The hall is not suitable because it has steps, a stage and windows. It has no run-off space and is needed for another purpose, which I will come to in a moment. This request was first made in 1998. At that time, the school had 400 students. It now has 620. The general purpose hall is not suitable. There could be three PE classes at the one time but only one can use the hall. There is a small canteen alongside the general purpose hall in which 60 of the 620 students can sit at any one time so students are sitting on the floor or in corridors to have their lunch. It is highly unsatisfactory. If we got a new gymnasium, the strategy would be to turn the general purpose hall into a seating area to be used for lunch, allowing students to sit together and be together. We all know about the wellness programme. The Government puts great emphasis on mental wellness for young people. It is important that young people sit down and have their lunch together at lunchtime. A seating area is needed so that people are not sitting around on the floors and in the corridors. It is really a ghastly situation. As a past pupil, I know it intimately but I have also visited a number of times since, including in recent years.

This hall has marvellous potential. The general purpose hall is needed for seating for lunch. It is also needed for various addresses and so on. However, there is a need for a specific gymnasium. The Minister of State does not need to be told of the efficacy of having a gymnasium for sport development, athleticism and all that goes with that. The mental well-being question would also be solved by having a seating area for lunchtime. We need the gymnasium. We are living in different times now and it can be afforded. The school has exercised great restraint. The principal, the board of management, the teachers and the pupils have exercised great restraint in bad times in the understanding that we could not get everything we wanted at once. However, that excuse no longer exists. This is a priority. It should and must be done. I will come back in later.

Before our guests leave, I should have pointed out that the window behind me is the projecting bow window that James Hoban replicated in the White House. As our guests leave, they can see that. It is another example of the links between us. That is another one for Mr. McLaurin's White House Historical Association.

I join with my colleagues in welcoming the Kennedy family. I represent the city of Limerick. John F. Kennedy visited Limerick in 1963 at what was then the old racecourse. The racecourse has moved but the structures are still there. At the time, the mayor was female, which was very unusual. Both of my parents were there. My dad has passed away but my mother is still alive and remembers it with fond affection. There is a great bond between the Kennedys and Ireland. I hope they get an opportunity to visit the sites. I do not know if they will have an opportunity to go to Limerick. They would be most welcome. Perhaps they could fly home through Shannon. Above everything else and apart from the human aspect, the link between ourselves and the Kennedys is symbolic and runs very deeply for both ourselves and the Kennedy family. It is great to have them here.

I thank Senator Joe O'Reilly for raising this important issue on behalf of his constituents. I have no doubt that St. Aidan's Comprehensive School regards him as a very proud alumnus and is very proud of what he has done. This debate gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the plans of the Department of Education and the Minister for upgrading school buildings, including those at St. Aidan’s Comprehensive School, Cootehill, County Cavan. St. Aidan’s is a co-educational comprehensive school, which was a new type of school at the time. Am I correct that the Senator said there were 620 students?

The notes say 589 but we will take it that 620 students were enrolled in the school for the 2022-23 school year. The Department’s planning and building unit recently received an application from St. Aidan’s Comprehensive School seeking funding for a new PE hall and social space for students. This is in addition to funding that was approved under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme in 2020 for the provision of an engineering room, an engineering preparation room, a construction preparation and store area and a home economics room. This project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery and is currently at stage 2B, which is the detailed design stage. Investment and expenditure on PE halls in post-primary schools is an element of the overall school building programme. The provision of general purpose rooms and PE halls at primary and post-primary level, respectively, as well as social spaces and dining spaces in post-primary schools, forms part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. This is also the case where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school. Almost 95% of the post-primary schools that made 2020 annual schools returns have indicated to the Department that they either have a PE hall, access to a nearby PE hall or a project in train that will deliver a new PE hall which can be used as a sports facility.

Senator Joe O'Reilly will appreciate that the immediate priority of the Department is providing new and replacement school places each year to ensure that every child has a school place. In that context, the main focus of the Department's resources over the past decade and for the coming period is on the provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics, particularly at post-primary level, and on provision for children with special educational needs. The Department will continue to work to ensure that capital investment in our schools is targeted in the most efficient and effective way to support schools in meeting the educational needs of their students and communities.

Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion in capital investment over the period from 2021 to 2025. There will be a rolling five-year funding envelope, which will be updated annually, for the period from 2026 to 2030 within the Government's overall national development plan funding envelope of €136 billion in Exchequer capital and €165 billion in total capital including non-Exchequer funds that will facilitate building a modern and sustainable school infrastructure. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high-quality building projects with a real focus on sustainability for school communities across Ireland. The strengthened focus on the refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build and modernisation programme that will enable students in post-primary schools to have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision, particularly in the context of the roll-out of PE as a leaving certificate subject. Enhanced and modernised PE facilities will also provide important amenities for local communities. The application by St. Aidan’s Comprehensive School for a PE hall will be considered as part of this future PE build and modernisation programme.

With all due respect to my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who is answering for the Minister for Education, I am very dissatisfied with this answer because the case of St. Aidan's is unique and it needs an announcement now. Children are sitting on the floor so it is not the same as a request for a gymnasium in other schools. The area currently being used to provide very restricted PE to very limited numbers needs to be converted into an area for students to sit around, eat and chat at lunchtime. There needs to be a distinct gymnasium. I know the Minister of State personally and I know he recognises what I am talking about. It is crucial that this school have a stand-alone gymnasium. At the moment, because the general purpose hall is being used as a makeshift PE area, the students are denied an area to congregate and sit at lunchtime. It goes against every good principle of education and wellness and everything in the philosophy of education. It is absolute madness.

It cannot be allowed to continue. I am dissatisfied that there is not a specific commitment to this project.

I appeal again, through the Minister of State, to the Minister for Education to give a commitment to build this project as a stand-alone and necessary exercise. It is not the normal application for a gymnasium. There is an emergency need to provide a sitting area for lunch, a gymnasium and combined PE and general wellness facilities. It is crucial that this is done. The answer is highly unsatisfactory but I hope it is a prelude to a good answer.

I again thank Senator Joe O'Reilly for allowing me to outline the Department of Education's position to the House. As the Senator will be aware, St. Aidan's Comprehensive School is currently advancing an additional school accommodation project which is delivering additional specialist classroom and ancillary accommodation. This project is currently at design stage, stage 2(b).

As I stated, under Project Ireland 2040 there will be capital investment of €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025. The current priority for the Department is, in general terms, the provision of additional school capacity, including accommodation for students with special needs. Future investment will include a strengthened focus on modernisation of school accommodation, including in the area of PE provision.

I note the points the Senator has raised. There is an application before the Department from St. Aidan's Comprehensive School seeking funding for a new PE hall and social spaces for students. I suspect that will get the due consideration it deserves.

I will personally take up the matter with the Minister for Education on the Senator's behalf. I understand the Senator's commitment to it. He highlighted what he knows to be a major capacity issue on the ground.