12. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on existing school building projects in Dublin Mid-West which are not yet approved; the current stage of each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54070/26]

Sentiment score: -0.10

The schools I intend to address are St. Thomas Junior National School and Scoil Aíne Naofa in Lucan and Divine Mercy junior and senior national schools and St. Kevin's Community College. What is the current status of the Lucan Community College project and Scoil Chrónáin? I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I thank the Minister for her very comprehensive answer. I see first hand the progress that is being made with school buildings across the constituency but there are also buildings that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The Minister mentioned Scoil Chrónáin. In answers she has given me in parliamentary questions, she is aware there is a delay on the tender with that particular school. I would very much welcome any urgency we can apply to make sure we break ground by quarter 4 of this year because that is contingent on the planning permission not having to be extended and for the delivery of the school building for Scoil Chrónáin that is so important. Similarly, for Lucan Community College, that is being delivered under phase one through a modular framework and there is now an intention to secure planning for the remaining phase, so that does not delay the delivery of phases two and three of Lucan. I also wish to draw attention to Devine Mercy junior and senior national schools. I went Devine Mercy Junior National School. It still the same building that was built in the 1980s. It is not fit for purpose and it is one that should be prioritised. Similarly, with St. Thomas's and Scoil Aíne in Lucan. There are cramped conditions for a rapidly growing part of Lucan. They need to be urgently prioritised. In my supplementary question, I will speak about the pipeline the Minister mentioned.

Sentiment score: 0.21

Hopefully, we will not need to extend the planning. That is the intention of all. Similarly for Lucan Community College, we need to get the planning right now for phases two and three. I wish to speak about the pipeline because it is important that the message we get out to parents is that there is a pipeline and that we are not taking a stop-start approach to prioritising schools. I wish to emphasise how important it is that the likes of Devine Mercy Junior National School, which is a very proud school in Balgaddy, gets approved for the building it has been waiting for quite a long time. The standard response I have got back for the past two years is that there will be a meeting of stakeholders in the near future and nothing past that. I am very keen to see progress on that. Similarly for St. Thomas's and Scoil Aíne junior and senior national schools in Lucan, they are immediately adjacent to Adamstown, which is one of the rapidly growing areas in the country right now. They are in the same building they were in when the school was opened. That needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. For St. Kevin's Community School in Clondalkin, the buildings are very much the same as they were when I was there. It was considered an old building then. The prefabs and the building are not in the condition they should be in. That needs to be prioritised for that next list. I am pleased to hear there is a pipeline but I am keen to see we make sure the right schools get on it in terms of their prioritisation.

Sentiment score: 0.23