87. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all capital projects currently under way in Cork city and county, in tabular form; the stages the various projects are at; the amount of capital estimated and spent on each project to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38583/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

I thank the Minister and I would appreciate a list in writing. The reason I asked the question was not to come in here to backslap and say we were all doing great. I taught for 15 years. I was deputy chair of Cork ETB for five of those, and the rate of capital expenditure has been phenomenal in the past number of years, particularly in Cork. That has to be recognised. We have seen projects in my constituency like the new special school in Carrignavar, which the Minister referenced. I think Scoil Mhuire gan Smál in Blarney cost in the region of €80 million. The biggest school campus in the country is in Carrigtwohill in my neighbouring constituency of Cork East. These are massive infrastructural projects. The boards of management and school managements in those circumstances have fought and worked hard for them. I raise this question because I am looking at voluntary boards, boards of management and school principals that do not necessarily have the expertise. I know the powers are devolved and they get a team to work with them. I think it is worth a rethink in how we do these projects because these people do not necessarily have the expertise, yet they take so much upon themselves and there is pressure with that. Will the Minister register that in her response?

Sentiment score: 0.11

I recognise that the Department is always proactive in my engagements with it. As an educator, though, I have concerns, and the Minister may have touched on something there. Cork ETB has a skill set that many voluntary schools would not have. While all schools are not under the patronage of Cork ETB, it has a specific set of skills. It might be worth considering in future that large-scale projects could use the local expertise in the various ETBs across the country. I remember teaching in a school a decade ago. The Minister might recall that the Sammon construction company had a number of projects in the country at that time, but it collapsed. Our school was 90% complete at the time, but because of difficulties surrounding that situation, we were left looking out the window of the old school at the new school that was nearly finished. We could not go into it for two and a half years because we could not get certification. That is just one example of the pressures and demands placed on boards of management. Whether they are equipped or not to deal with those specific situations, they will require the expertise and leadership of something like the ETB.

Sentiment score: 0.00