Schools Building Projects
Seanad Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Gareth Scahill (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach

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?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-09-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-29