Timmy Dooley
Clare · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank both Senators for the amendments they are putting forward and the sentiment behind them. I will deal with the points about the emergency. The Government made it very clear that a decision was taken, based on a decision taken by the previous Government in November 2024.”
“The State has taken a view, however, that is consistent with our desire and our commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and onwards to 2040 and 2050, that this facility is strategic, as it says, that it is only for storage and that it is not meant to be a market play and cannot be a market play.”
“It is, but it is not an either-or situation. If €1 billion could sort it out with more batteries, wind or solar then that is the route we would be taking. We are investing very significant amounts of money in our electricity grid.”
“As the Senators know, the piece of kit – effectively the ship – will be leased in. There are a number of these around the world and they move on. First, we are not investing in the kind of infrastructure that had been a feature of discussions in the past.”
“All fossil fuels are harmful to the environment. The Senator is right that methane has a much higher concentration and is more impactful by what is referred to as the carbon dioxide equivalence. It is much greater than carbon dioxide but it also has shorter life in the atmosphere. It dissipates over time whereas carbon dioxide does not.”
“If we were to do it, however, to get the private sector to pay for the security - I think it is accepted on all sides that there is a necessity for some security in terms of the gas supply - and if the Government were to say it would provide that through a market-led private consortium and initiate an auction to allow entities around the…”
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“External companies and organisations that develop programmes can contact schools directly, but in terms of content, the Department does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any publication or product. The only requirement from the Department, on any resource used in a school, is that it be relevant to the curriculum. Ultimately, the decision on which resources, if any, most appropriately cover the curriculum also rests with the school. At the meeting with the Key to the EU team, it was noted that other programmes, such as the Blue Star Programme are available to schools. The Blue Star Programme is managed by European Movement Ireland for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”
“The Minister acknowledged the work that went into developing such programmes and the positive intentions behind it. However, it was set out that the Department received many requests to support or promote the roll-out of projects, programmes and resources in schools. The Education Act 1998 sets out the key roles and functions in the running of schools. This recognises that school leaders and teachers are best placed to decide on the programmes that are most appropriate for the children in their classrooms and in their schools generally. As a result, apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary level, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, decisions on textbooks, programmes and products to use in schools are therefore taken at school level.”
“I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important issue and recognise her very considerable interest in broader European issues. I know she is a vice-president of the European People's Party, which is an important role, and she has a long history there. I think she was secretary general of YouthEPP at a stage in the past. It is really good that this House seeks to embrace all that is involved at European level. I thank the Senator for her continued interest in this area. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, along with Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, recently met Dr. Schön-Quinlivan, Ms Trish Collier and Mr. Hugh Ahern, the team behind the Key to the EU programme. Dr. Schön-Quinlivan and Ms Collier presented on the Key to the EU programme at the meeting.”
“That would resolve a lot of the issues that we talk about, but that is a matter for the Department. It is something the Senator could raise here at a later stage.”
“It would be an appropriate profession to be able to sign and verify because the Senators in the House know full well that unlike gardaí and school teachers, etc., our phones can never be off. We are always in a position to be available because that is our role. The Senators here today are hard-working, constituency people. That is something that should be looked at. The Senator might bring forward a Private Member's Bill or perhaps another Commencement matter to broaden the kind of people who can be used because while a garda plays a very important role, the role generally is just to witness. Somebody presents him or herself with a photograph and that is the individual and the garda signs to that effect. There is no reason that could not be done by a Member of the Oireachtas.”
“I thank the Senator. I know he is passionate about this area, because he and I have had numerous conversations. He is working extremely hard in his constituency to try to get people over the line. I will raise the issue, as I have done previously, with the Minister for foreign affairs in relation to who can actually sign and do the verification. I am conscious that it can be done by peace commissioners, commissioners of oaths, schoolteachers and school principals, etc. I see no reason why somebody who is elected to the Oireachtas could not be in a position to sign. For whatever might be said about us as politicians, generally, those of us who are elected have the trust of our constituents.”
“I encourage people who find themselves with a requirement to witness the application, that is, a first-time application or one that has been expired for more than five years, to go to the main Garda station in the county. That is a way to resolve the problem. However, it does not take from the very important issue the Senator has raised, which is somebody who missed a holiday who at some point had a passport that had gone out of date. Between Covid and various other things, people quite frankly have not had use for a passport. Particularly within the common travel area where Aer Lingus prior to this did not require a passport to go to the UK, and many people who did not have a passport chose to travel there with a driving licence, there is now an even greater demand.”
“This reform programme focuses on the future of service delivery by implementing projects that enhance the customer experience, while maintaining the integrity of the Irish passport. I thank the Senator for his question. I am well aware of the issue. I encourage him and others in this House and elsewhere to encourage those seeking a passport and filling out the application to go to a main Garda station. There is a multiplicity of Garda stations in my constituency which only open for a number of hours of the day and there is no way in the wide world that when the Passport Office is ringing at 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock or 6 o'clock, or maybe later or even at weekends, there will be somebody there to answer.”
“Passport applications are checked by experienced entitlement officers who endeavour to maintain up-to-date records of the opening hours of Garda stations. Where the passport service cannot reach the Garda station after three attempts, the relevant superintendent’s office can be contacted to verify the details. If the passport service is unable to verify the witness after these steps have been taken, a new witnessed form will be requested from the applicant. The passport service is continuously looking at ways to make the application process easier for applicants, including the enhancement of digital services, and would welcome the digitisation of the records maintained by An Garda Síochána when witnessing applications. There is a general update of passport service policies under way in the context of the ongoing passport reform programme.”
“When developing passport assist, the passport service engaged extensively with An Garda Síochána and provided training resources on correctly witnessing forms. Since its launch, the proportion of applications requiring Garda witnessing has decreased from 17% to 13%. When a garda does witness an application, it is the responsibility of the witnessing garda to ensure that the signature is correctly recorded in the station logbook in order that, when the passport service calls, the signature can be verified. In these cases, the passport service calls the relevant station to confirm that the garda recorded the form in the logbook. The passport service is not required to directly speak to the witnessing garda. Passport service staff call the Garda station up to three times to verify the signature.”
“The witnessing of these application forms is a vital element of the identity verification process as it provides initial assurance to the passport service that the person in the photograph is the same person presenting to submit the form. With applications for a minor, the witnessing of this form provides evidence that guardians have given consent for a passport to be issued to the child. To protect the rights of guardians and children, it is important that forms are correctly completed. In December 2025, the passport service launched a new passport assist service to support citizens who do not wish to use passport online channels and assist them to make a paper passport application.”
“Our passport ranks fourth in the Henley global passport index as it provides citizens visa-free access to 186 countries. Since the introduction of passport online in 2017, adults renewing their passports are not required to submit a witnessed identity form. Online child renewal applications can be witnessed by members of many professions, including schoolteachers, doctors, elected representatives and gardaí. Only first-time adult and child passport application forms for applicants resident in Ireland are required to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. There is a really good reason for that. We have seen efforts by others for nefarious reasons to attempt to gain an Irish passport illegally.”
“I am glad of the opportunity to address the House on the topic of passports which has been raised by my good friend Senator Crowe. I thank him for raising this issue. It is a really important issue of which I am very aware from a constituency perspective, as are most Members of this House. The passport service is currently experiencing a high level of demand for passports as citizens prepare for upcoming summer travel. Thanks to the operational and staffing plans of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the passport service is successfully responding to this demand and has issued over 440,000 passports to date this year. Internationally, the Irish passport has a strong reputation and the passport service takes seriously its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport and the issuing process.”
“Perhaps we, collectively, can organise a meeting that involves a representative of the council, either the person involved in housing activation in Wicklow County Council, the director of service or the chief executive, to address this important issue. I thank the Deputy for his advocacy on this and many other issues.”
“Perhaps a meeting could be arranged in Leinster House, and I am happy to facilitate that. The Deputy is well able to manage it but if he needs any assistance from me, I am happy to do that. Sometimes it takes a nudge to spark action. The county-wide approach is doing well, with 125% of its target achieved, but that is cold comfort to someone who is in the Deputy's constituency office and whose son or daughter wants to remain in Arklow, live their life there alongside their parents, siblings or whoever it might be, and is told there is a home in Gorey or wherever else. Up the road does not wash. I am happy to work with the Deputy. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Browne.”
“I thank the Deputy. Of course, I know of his significant interest in homes and housing. He has been and continues to be a strong advocate. There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation from the Department's perspective. It is looking at the overall delivery of social homes and it is on target and on budget. To get into micromanagement is a bit of a challenge for the Department but I will certainly raise the issue with the Minister. The fact that the Deputy is raising the issue is giving vent to his concerns. Engagement with Wicklow County Council is needed. The Deputy was a member of a local authority and knows about that sort of engagement. Perhaps some collective work could be done to include the Minister and the Deputy, working with the councillors and the county manager, the chief executive.”
“As local authorities prepare new housing delivery action plans under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, there will be a renewed focus on identifying and delivering both social and affordable housing solutions that reflect local needs and priorities. These plans will provide a clear pathway for future delivery and ensure that communities such as Arklow benefit from the full range of housing supports available. This is about more than building houses, as the Deputy knows. It is about building sustainable communities, creating places where people can live, work and raise families, and ensuring that the homes we build today are fit for future generations.”
“While Wicklow County Council currently has a programme of housing delivery under way in other parts of the county, no applications have yet been received for starter homes schemes in Arklow. This is clearly a matter that requires continued engagement and focus. The affordable housing fund remains available to Wicklow County Council to support the development of affordable homes where affordability pressures have been identified. The Department of housing, the Housing Agency and the housing delivery co-ordination office continue to work closely with local authorities to develop and advance housing projects that respond to local needs, including in key growth centres such as Arklow.”
“Wicklow County Council has delivered 91 starter purchase homes to date and has further schemes approved for delivery in the coming years. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has also funded seven dedicated starter homes administrative and technical posts within Wicklow County Council to support delivery. Importantly, Wicklow County Council is also performing strongly in the delivery of social housing. The council has exceeded its social housing targets for the period 2022 to 2025, achieving 125% of its target. The latest social housing construction status report shows a strong pipeline of 512 social homes at various stages of design and procurement, including 166 homes under construction at the end of 2025. This demonstrates a local authority that is actively delivering homes and planning for future need.”
“To underpin this ambition, the Government is investing at an unprecedented level through direct Exchequer funding, investment by the Land Development Agency and lending through the Housing Finance Agency. Across the country, the starter purchase scheme, cost-rental scheme, first home scheme, help-to-buy scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant are helping individuals and families access secure and affordable housing. Last year, more than 17,000 supports were delivered through these measures. In Wicklow, significant progress has already been made. Since 2022, over 1,000 starter home supports have been delivered through a combination of starter purchase, cost rental, the first home scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant.”
“The plan will significantly increase the delivery of new-build social housing to an average of 12,000 homes per year and includes a range of measures to support local authorities in meeting this ambition. These include a streamlined approval process for social housing projects, greater use of standardised designs and modern methods of construction, enhanced land acquisition supports, dedicated housing delivery teams in every local authority and financial incentives to exceed annual social housing delivery targets. Alongside these social housing measures, the plan reinforces and expands the range of affordable housing supports already being delivered, including the new starter homes programme, which aims to provide an average of 15,000 starter home supports annually to 2030.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter regarding the delivery of social and affordable housing in Arklow. I am answering on behalf of our colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, and his Department. Affordability and the chance to own a home remain at the heart of this Government's housing policy, as set out in our new national housing action plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025–2030. At the same time, we remain firmly committed to delivering the social housing needed to support individuals and families who require housing assistance and to building strong, sustainable communities across the country. Under the housing action plan, the Government is targeting the delivery of 300,000 new homes by 2030, including 72,000 social homes.”
“I am not going to put the Minister in a position where she is a hostage to fortune but I will relay the Deputies' comments to her. If an engagement has to take place afterwards or something positive can come out of it, we will happily get back to the Deputies. While I fully understand the sentiments that they expressed and the impact on the school, there has to be an objective criterion for managing fluctuations in pupil-teacher ratios and school numbers. The Deputies are all asking, given that it is obvious that the number enrolled next year will return to the previous level, whether there is an interim solution. On that basis, I will ask the Minister for guidance from the Department. Let us see where we go with that.”
“I thank the Deputies. I understand and get the difficulty but there have to be objective criteria for allocating or reducing the number of teachers. My understanding is that, with the awarding of DEIS plus status, the school got additional resources. I set that out for the Deputies. There was an additional element. I get that it is challenging when there is a reduction of just one. If it were five or seven, it might be more easily comprehended and accepted. I will, of course, bring this matter directly to the attention of the Minister, but my understanding is that her hands are tied on this because, as with anything, there is the law of unintended consequences. Where provision is made for one, the impact on so many others must be thought about.”
“-----by just one. I get that but there has to be a cut-off. There has to be some line so the Department's hands are tied in that regard. As the Deputies know, the school submitted an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board and, unfortunately, that appeal was unsuccessful. The board operates entirely independently of the Department and the rules set out that its decision is final. It is unfortunate for the school to find itself in this situation but, on a more positive note, the Deputies seems to indicate the numbers will be available next year and that the position will return to what it was previously. I am sorry I cannot provide more positive information. I am guided by the Minister in this regard and the information that is available to me.”
“Francis Junior National School currently has ten mainstream teachers. As the school’s enrolment fell below the required enrolment threshold for that level of staffing, which all the TDs have identified, the mainstream staffing is due to be reduced by one in September. I realise that others have said the number fell-----”
“The latest figures relating to pupil-teacher ratio show an improved ratio of pupils to teachers, from 15:1 to 12.8:1, at primary level when comparing the 2019-20 school year to the 2024-25 school year. In the same period, the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 to 23:1 and average class sizes at primary level have improved from 24:1 to 22.2:1. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The primary staffing schedule is a long-standing feature of the primary allocation system, which ensures fairness and transparency in the allocation of mainstream class teachers across our primary schools, regardless of location. St.”
“This represents an increase of just over 5,000 teachers when compared with the 2019-20 school year, and this has led to a steady improvement in the pupil:teacher ratio and average class size during this period. In recent budgets, prioritisation was given to reducing the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools, which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of one classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the most favourable ratio ever seen at primary level. More favourable ratios are implemented for DEIS urban band 1, including DEIS plus schools, at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. A three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which was introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.”
“Schools in the DEIS plus scheme will receive strengthened, research-informed supports across well-being, attendance, engagement, guidance, leadership capacity, community partnerships and access to services, including the introduction of a new positive mental health and well-being initiative to support a whole-school approach to student well-being. As part of St. Francis National School’s inclusion in the DEIS plus scheme, the school will gain a positive mental health and well-being co-ordinator, PMHW, which is a full-time post of one teacher, and two administrative release days per week for the school’s deputy principal. Teacher numbers at primary level have reached the highest ever level in the current school year. Currently there are over 43,000 teaching posts allocated across the primary school system.”
“I thank the Deputies very much. It is refreshing to see everybody on the same side of an important issue like this. Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for this Government. The DEIS plus scheme represents a significant expansion of targeted educational supports. It is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based supports to schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people experiencing persistent and intergenerational disadvantage. Approximately 30,000 children and young people nationally will benefit from inclusion in the scheme in 121 schools.”
“I thank the Deputy very much. As I indicated, there has been a significant increase in demand for both school-based and home-based tuition during those months. From a departmental perspective, it does take a little bit of time to iron out all of that. I will ask the Department to communicate directly on his specific questions and that, perhaps, there be a level of engagement between it and the school so that the school does not have to be at loggerheads or not have all the information available to it that it would need to take whatever actions it has to in the coming months. If that flow of information does not happen, I ask the Deputy to come back to me and I will be happy to follow through on it for her.”
“Equally, it is acknowledged that there are some children with complex special educational needs whose school is not running a school-based programme or a place on the school-based programme is not available. In this instance, these children can avail of the home-based provision which allows for tuition or care support to be provided on a one-to-one basis or in a small group setting. I hope this response outlines the general position to some extent. We will certainly try to ensure the Department comes back to Deputy O'Reilly with greater detail.”
“In addition, the number of home-based applications has significantly increased on last year. Officials in the Department have been engaging with schools on an individual basis in relation to the running of their summer programme. Schools have now received their sanction letters with their staffing allocation. This allocation is based on the number of children who are taking part in accordance with the published terms and conditions of the programme. Schools can engage with the Department if they have unique circumstances that require additional resources, and the Department will work with these schools on an individual basis to ensure that they can meet the needs of the children taking part. I believe this is what Deputy O'Reilly is asking, with regard to having a child-centric approach.”
“As a result, the online application portals for both the school-based and the home-based programmes were opened from 6 May to 15 May. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, listened to the concerns of schools that wanted to apply after the deadline, and the application portals were reopened from 2 to 5 June. Details on this reopening were communicated to all schools on Thursday, 29 May 2026. The summer programme has been well established for several years, so even though there was a shorter window for applications, schools were prepared in advance. The Department subsequently received more applications for the school-based scheme this year than were run in 2025, with increases across primary, post-primary and special schools.”
“The original intention and the continued emphasis of the summer programme is to mitigate the impact of learning loss on those children while schools are closed. An increase in special educational needs prevalence rates, particularly of autism, and the presentation of children with more complex needs has meant that the summer programme is more important than ever. Details of the summer programme were communicated to schools and stakeholders in early May. While it is acknowledged that the details of the programme are typically announced earlier, the Department continually kept in touch with stakeholders querying when the summer programme might be announced to ensure they understood that it would be forthcoming and that schools should start their preparations.”
“Since 2021, the Department of Education and Youth's inspectorate has evaluated the programme annually. Its findings consistently highlight the programme's positive impact on the many children and young people who have taken part, with parents, staff and the children themselves reporting improvements in confidence, attitude and readiness to return to school in September. Deputy O'Reilly has asked a series of questions. I do not have all of the answers but I will ask the Department to communicate directly with her and the school on the specifics and I will speak on the general point.”
“I thank Deputy O'Reilly very much for her series of questions. I know her interest in this area and she has been a strong advocate, not just for specific schools in her area but also for the educational needs of children. The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the programme for Government makes several commitments to deliver on this objective. The summer programme is a vital and targeted intervention that is specifically designed for children with complex special educational needs or those at risk of educational disadvantage. While it is delivered during the summer months, it is an educational programme and should not be viewed as a replacement for recreational summer camps.”
“The overarching point here is that this cannot be done in isolation. We have to make the penalty and fines structure suitable for and commensurate with the damage that is ultimately being done. We mitigate the risks. Accidents do happen, for sure, but we have to ensure a lot more mitigation is taken because there is a lack of understanding of how important our rivers and oceans are from a biodiversity and climate change perspective.”
“Those recommendations are now being implemented alongside the modernisation of inland fisheries legislation to strengthen enforcement powers and ensure penalties provide an effective deterrent against environmental pollution. We are on a pathway to update the legislation and I look forward to the engagement of Deputy Nash and others in the House when we bring it to Committee Stage or on pre-legislative scrutiny, when there will be an opportunity for all to get involved. I acknowledge the work of IFI, the local authorities and the many volunteers and community members, including the Dee and Glyde Fishing Development Association, who have responded to the incident. The Government remains committed to supporting the recovery of the River Glyde and to promoting Ireland's rivers for future generations.”
“I thank the Deputy for his contribution. I know Deputy Eoghan Kenny and other Members of this House were centrally involved in the Blackwater issue. As referenced, I cannot recount if a licence was ever removed. I know licences have been suspended in cases and it may be that there is a difficulty from the EPA's perspective on how it might do that. Maybe that does require to be codified better in the law. The lessons learned from the Blackwater fish kill continue to inform Government policy and are certainly guiding me. We did a review among the agencies involved but then we got an independent review undertaken by the European Commission's joint research centre and it identified some practical recommendations to strengthen prevention, detection and inter-agency co-ordination in responding to fish kill incidents.”
“I await that information and will certainly move as quickly as I can as soon as I get it because the Deputy is right, in that I do not think it acts as a deterrent. The Deputy is right in saying that sometimes it is wilful neglect because the fine is not serious enough to prevent accidents. Sometimes it is wilful destruction where somebody chooses to do this where, as the Deputy said, rather than investing, it is easier to breach and be fined and not be impacted. We have to elevate the fines and the punishment to a level in order that people take heed of the necessity to protect our rivers and waterways.”
“There can be a licensed entity, usually a commercial entity that has a licence to discharge into a particular body of water. The licence is issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. I think that at times the reissuance of licences should not be done - the continued issuance of a licence where there have been breaches. I have said this to the EPA and asked it to give me its views on what the fines structure should be. I have my own views but I must follow the professional advice and I await that determination. Last year, soon after taking on this role with responsibility for inland fisheries, an event happened on the River Blackwater which again had devastating consequences. At the time, I asked both the EPA and IFI to look at the body of law that is there, to look at the fines and to come forward with suggestions.”
“The investigation is ongoing and IFI is putting together the details of what has happened and will prepare a file that will go to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, and then a decision will be taken on whether or not to prosecute based on the evidence that has been procured. The Deputy raised an important issue in reference to the comments I made. I do not believe, quite frankly, the punishment, fines or the way the process is structured is in any way commensurate with the damage that is done. Therefore, I do not think it acts as a sufficient deterrent. Often in a case like this it could be a licensed operator. I am speaking in general terms because I do not want to get into the specifics as I am conscious there may be a prosecution at some point.”
“Within about four hours, using kayaks and drones it was able to identify the source of the effluent entering the river and end the discharge. Were it not for the fast action of all concerned the situation could have been far worse. That is not at all to undermine the damage that was done to the ecosystem of the river but I want to identify and thank people for that. We estimate that around 20,000 fish have been lost, including Atlantic salmon, eels, brown trout, pike, minnow and coarse fish species. That, of course, will have a devastating impact on the people who use the river but also on the ecology of the area. The Deputy rightly asked what the next step is.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for allowing me to update the House on what has happened. I acknowledge the significance of a very severe fish kill that occurred on the River Glyde and the devastating impact it has had on the local communities, anglers and users of this important river catchment. I want to pay tribute to the angling community and those who use the river for leisure and other activities for the way in which they care for that river. As in many cases around the country, they act as citizen scientists, notifying IFI of various events that happen on the river. In fact, it was an angler who first identified the discharge and the death of fish. IFI reacted very quickly and was on site within about ten minutes.”
“There are a number of stages, but every time the project moves on, the school gets closer to that mark. I apologise that I cannot give a timeframe, but it would be foolhardy for anyone to give a guesstimate given that the report is still awaited. I have every expectation that officials will be in touch with the school and that they will move on that.”
“When the report is on the Department's desk, the Deputy will probably be back in the House looking for a further update. Of course, we will provide him with one. I know the Deputy will be advocating through his contacts in the Department as well. At every stage, I encourage the school to get the documentation and report in. I have identified the priorities for the Deputy. The key priority is that it is a Gaelscoil, but the fact that the focus is firmly on the special needs or educational element for children with special needs is a significant part of the overall jigsaw. I suggest that the Deputy emphasise that and continue to advocate. Sooner rather than later, the Department will be, I hope, in a position to move the project to the next stage.”
“The Deputy has made a strong case for this project. I set out, in broad terms, the criteria that apply to all schools and building projects. I set out, in a clear way, the commitment of the Government, from an overall financial envelope available over the next number of years, to complete these projects and how they get assessed. Of course, there are more projects than there is money to address them over the next five years. That is why the prioritisation is part of it, but just because I have set out the prioritisation, it does not necessarily mean the school is not part of that. The first tranche has been announced. What is important now is for those preparing the stage 2b report to get it into the Department. Knowing the Deputy as long as I do, I know his capacity to advocate.”
“Functionality, long-term suitability and the specific needs of schools, including special education requirements, are also considered at each stage. This approach ensures that projects not only progress in a timely manner but also deliver maximum value for money and target priorities of the school estate. This prioritisation process will be informed by engagement with school patrons and management bodies, which is currently under way. The project at Coláiste an Phiarsaigh will form part of this overall process.”
“The timing of a pipeline project moving from one stage to the next requires careful planning and is determined by a number of factors, such as confirmation that any existing or emerging school capacity in the area is being, or will be, optimised; confirmation of compliance with all technical and cost requirements relevant to that project stage; outcome of prioritisation assessment; and timing of affordability within annual NDP funding parameters, taking account of overall programme requirements. In moving projects forward, the Department maintains a strong focus on delivering value for money and affordability, and includes phasing arrangements, where necessary, to ensure that spending remains sustainable.”