I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important Topical Issue. I raise the issue of the need for a new school building for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools. This is, in the first instance, an excellent school. The principal there is J.J. Brennan. There are 470 pupils in the senior school, while the junior school has in the region of 450 pupils, so it is a large school. The principal says the staff are very dedicated. It is the only school in Meath that has a platinum STEM award for science and technology. It is one of only 25 schools in the State with that award. The school is involved in local history projects, and clean air and pollinator projects. It also has a tremendous new drama club, with over 80 people involved. However, the condition of the hall has recently been commented on. The staff are absolutely excellent and dedicated, but the building is letting them down. The principal stated that while the school has a large number of accolades and awards, staff are working in terrible conditions, which is bad for the morale of staff and not fair on students. The chair of the senior and junior national school parents association, Karen Gunning, stated that while the staff handle the situations with professionalism and calm, the stark reality is that young children are being educated in infrastructure that is visibly failing. Hundreds of children continue to learn in an ageing building that no longer meets the needs of a modern primary school. The staff are excellent, incredible and innovative, but they do not have the facilities to match. The junior school is 30 years old but the senior school was built in 1971 and some of the prefabs are 20 years and older. The conditions are dire. The school has leaking roofs in five classrooms and uneven flooring. In one portacabin, the floor collapsed recently and the class had to be relocated. There are infestations of rodents - rats, mice and more. It is simply unacceptable. There are nine portacabins housing ten classes, and there is an autism class in one of the prefabs. There are proposals for another autism class in the senior school but there is a question regarding what space will used to accommodate it. Since the announcement of the first tranche of NDP funding, we know there are many disappointed schools which are not on the list. I make the case to the Minister of State that not all schools waiting to get onto the list for the next tranche of funding, or even the existing one, are equal. I make a specific case for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools. This project has been in the offing since 1995 and in planning, in some shape or form, since 2008. Its ten-year planning permission for works will expire in August. I have told the Minister of State this is an excellent school. I have also told him about the conditions staff and pupils are living with at the minute. The school's ten-year planning permission is about to expire and we need to get works commenced on this school before it does.

Sentiment score: 0.06

I think the Minister of State has made my case for me. One TD after another will say that their local school or a school in their constituency should be included when it comes to funding under the NDP. Very few - I would suggest none - would say that the planning permission is about to expire and that the project, through no fault of the school, has been to the brink and back on two occasions. Covid interrupted this project. It was interrupted again in light of other circumstances. This school is in desperate need. Very particular circumstances obtain in the context of Dunboyne junior and senior national schools here. Will the Minister of State bring those circumstances to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton? The Minister of State has the details of how far advanced the project was before it was pulled back and of how far it was advanced again before demands were made by the Department in relation to decarbonisation. It is almost back to square one again. If this project does not proceed, there is a risk that the planning permission will expire in a handful of months. I have a written response from the Minister which states, "My department is conscious that the planning permission for the project ... will expire in August 2026 and the Department will work with the school authorities to identify an appropriate pathway forward". Will the Minister of State please explain what that means? As he will appreciate, the real concern is that the planning permission will expire, and then the whole school community will be back to square one. In the context of all the additional information on how we are going to spend funding in the future and identify priority projects for further tranches, this project will not be considered. I am asking that this project be put on the list of tranche 1 funding in light of the particular circumstances involved.

Sentiment score: -0.04