Over 3,500 new breast cancer cases arise in the State every year. It is absolutely shocking to say that 20% of the scheduled examinations did not take place last year. This should be seen as a red flag for Government and a huge concern for us all. The Minister needs to understand why this is happening and seek to address it immediately, whether through advertisements, education, more flexibility in the service in terms of missed appointments, and any other mechanism necessary. However, last year is not the full story of the missed targets. The missed targets over the past three years amount to 122,334. These can be taken in tandem with figures released to Sinn Féin earlier this year that show 45% of breast cancer surgeries are not happening within the recommended timeframe. With a growing and ageing population which will see the number of women eligible increase from 500,000 in 2019 to 700,000 by the end of the decade, the picture painted is one that should be deeply concerning for the future. It is not sufficient to simply increase targets and expect everything else to flow. We have seen the outworkings of that in terms of HRT, blister packs and so on. What I want to hear from the Minister of State is her comprehensive plan to set this right now - not just targets, but the substance.
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Health Screening Programmes
In little over a week we will mark the beginning of cancer awareness month. This should be a time when we can talk about the great progress being made in fighting cancer across the State. While progress is being made in some areas, which is positive and should be strongly welcomed, the national target for mammograms has been missed for a third consecutive year, and not by any small amount; it has been missed by 46,000. That is 46,000 women who should have been scanned. While the numbers of those being scanned are reaching record highs, we must ask why these targets are being missed by such a vast amount. If breast cancer is detected at stage 1, 99% of women will survive but survival drops to 37% if detected at stage 4. Data suggests that nearly one third of women are not getting breast cancer surgery in time. Women's lives should not be a statistic. These delays are crippling families with the fear of the unknown and reducing survival rates. University Hospital Waterford's webpage states that the hospital "provides a high quality service which addresses all aspects of care for women affected by breast cancer". Therefore, what is happening? Have there been cutbacks in the hospital? What multi-annual investment in cancer care will be seen to address demand and to prevent these backlogs increasing? Behind each and every one of these figures is a mother, a daughter, a sister and a grandmother. The devastation to families caused by failures to detect breast cancer early is absolutely immense.
I thank Deputies Bennet and Newsome Drennan for this opportunity to discuss the important matter of breast screening. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I genuinely thank the Deputies for raising it. It is really important. The more awareness we can bring to breast cancer screening, the better. It is not often I get the opportunity. I will be in the Seanad at 10.30 a.m. answering a similar question and I welcome that. I am standing here as, I assume, the only woman who has availed of BreastCheck for those aged 50 and over.
No, I have too.
The Deputy certainly does not look old enough. I am going to draw on my own lived experience in relation to this because is really important. If we only take one thing away from today it is that we urge every eligible woman to attend for breast screening when they are called as the numbers are only at 70%. The last time I attended was two years ago in the summer. I remember arriving at about 11.05 a.m., five minutes late, and I apologised to the nurse on duty who told me not to worry as I was the first person to arrive that day. She said that when the sun was shining unfortunately the screening was not a priority for people. It is really important that it is noted on the floor of the Dáil that people turn up for only two out of every three appointments. The question is what we do to improve that and to look for solutions.
Enhancing Ireland's cancer screening programme is a priority for the Minister for Health and for all of us in the House. These programmes are a vital component of our health services. Breast cancer is the most common non-invasive cancer in women, with over 3,500 cases diagnosed in Ireland every year. About one third of these are detected through screening. BreastCheck, Ireland's national breast screening programme, screens women aged 50 to 69 years of age. It aims to detect breast cancer at the earliest possible stage and provide assessment and access to onward care for women who need further interventions. It operates four regional screening units and 24 mobile units serving 54 locations across the country. In 2025, BreastCheck screened 173,443 women, the highest number in its history. However, the HSE acknowledged that this was below the target it set itself for that year.
The Government has made significant investments in cancer screening programmes in recent years. This includes improvements to infrastructure, staffing and technology, and the Minister for Health understands from the national screening service that these improvements include a new patient database system. This is a modern system that simplifies and streamlines workflows for BreastCheck's team. It enables real-time data tracking of screening a participant's journey and helps address the service gaps. The HSE has also implemented a streamlined appointment system and reorganised radiography staff to increase weekday appointments using its current resources. Since 2023, the NSS has recruited new consultants and senior radiographers, secured additional recruitment funding and expanded training places. BreastCheck has partnered with University College Cork to launch a postgraduate mammography certification in Ireland. This is really important because it enables mammographers to train in Ireland. Three new mobile screening units have been added since 2020, bringing the total number to 24. BreastCheck continues to commission new mobile screening units and plan for additional screening infrastructure. BreastCheck has been engaged on inviting women at higher risk, those waiting longest, newly eligible women, and women from marginalised groups who may face barriers to screening. We really want to encourage all women to attend their appointments or to reschedule them. Filling every slot helps to ensure that more women receive screenings.
As I have said before, we need to make BreastCheck more visible so people know to have their breast checks done. The HSE and BreastCheck are failing too many people, with patients on trolleys, years-long waiting lists, delayed diagnoses, overcrowding in hospitals and families just left in limbo right across the whole of the HSE, not just in BreastCheck. Just in my locality of Cavan and Monaghan this week, there has been a patient lying on the floor. I realise that it is not about BreastCheck but I thought I would bring it up with the Minister of State here today. It is absolutely horrendous that we have people lying on the floors in our hospitals and patients who cannot get their BreastCheck screenings. Despite the millions being spent by the HSE, people still are not being seen in the timely manner needed. The public deserves more in every area under the HSE. I ask the Minister of State to take this on board.
I know a woman in my community who found a lump. She went to her GP straight away. She did everything right. She got her referral for an appointment but had to wait seven weeks to be seen, only to be told then that she needed an urgent ultrasound and a mammogram but would have to wait three to four months. This was despite the presence of the lump and a history of breast cancer in her family. Her own sister had it at 36. That should be setting off alarm bells. Four months later, she got her scan and a biopsy and received a positive diagnosis of breast cancer. She has dense breast tissue and needs an MRI scan as a result. First, she was told it would take two to three weeks. A day later, she got a phone call and was told she would be waiting another eight weeks. That is over six months of waiting that this woman has had to endure, all while the cancer is growing. How is it acceptable to leave a woman waiting like that for an urgent scan? The woman, Linda, would like to ask why she is in this situation and how many more women are just like her.
As Deputies will know, I cannot talk about individual cases on the floor of the Dáil.
Nobody wants to talk about it. I sense it.
Sorry, but it is not an over-and-back. The most important thing we can do leaving here today is to encourage women, first and foremost, to avail of screening. Only 70% of BreastCheck screenings are accessed every year. That means two out of every three women avail of the service. We can all agree that we should leave here today trying to encourage people to avail of it.
The second point is that one third of all breast cancers are detected through screening. I have a very good friend who, many years ago, went for her very first mammogram, was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a very positive outcome.
In relation to the cases both Deputies have raised, the circumstances are simply not acceptable to me as a woman or as a Minister of State in the Department of Health. It is not a situation we want to see arising. The HSE is making every effort to expand services.
The point made on visibility is important. Breast cancer is not something we should be hiding away. In Waterford, my constituency, the BreastCheck van is in the Regional Sports Centre for six months of the year and in Dungarvan Community Hospital for the other six. Every eligible woman aged from 50 to 69 in a particular area is invited to attend. Unfortunately, only two out of three do. Notwithstanding the case cited, it is important to get the message out that if a woman of any age notices a change in a breast, she should go to her GP immediately and get support in as timely a manner as possible.
I thank the Deputies for raising this. It is so important that we talk about women's health on the floor of the Dáil. I will bring the Deputies' comments back to the Minister.
She knows about it. She has her email. Nobody is answering me.
Mental Health Services
I thank the Minister of State for being here. It will not be the first time we have had this discussion. It is a very difficult discussion to deal with. We all know that in Ireland we have a history of it being far too easy to get an involuntary admission to mental health services. The problem is that, on some level, the pendulum has swung too far the other way. There can be difficulties at times. I am talking people who are obviously sick. While they may not be, from the Garda's point of view, an imminent danger to themselves or others, they are definitely in harmful circumstances and in mental anguish. At times, it looks like the State has washed its hands, and that is why many people may be attempting to do an awful lot of good work.
I will go through a number of examples without getting into any more detail than I need to. I dealt with the case of a man who had been put out of emergency accommodation. He had obviously breached the rules within this emergency accommodation. He had mental health issues and a long history of mental health issues. He was known to mental health services. There was an attempt at a voluntary admission whereby the Garda and a mental health social worker attempted to cajole him to go to Crosslanes. That did not work out. The problem is that this probably happened two weeks into the event. It probably took about six weeks before there was an authorised officer.
We are looking for more authorised officers who can deal specifically with these sorts of cases. If we were in the North or in Britain, it would probably be a lot easier for an authorised officer to deliver an involuntary admission. Therefore, we need to consider this. Obviously, a GP is needed and, as gardaí will often say, GPs will generally not sign forms for involuntary admission, even in cases where they would at times believe it should happen. Whether it is a matter of guidelines, protocols or re-examining the legislation, we need to find a solution. There is a very wide conversation to be had.
I spoke to the Minister of State previously about a woman in similar circumstances who went months refusing help but needed help. I could not get into the issues that were impacting on her. The gardaí had taken her in during really cold weather. She was dealt with and is in a better place at the minute but it just took far too long.
I also have an issue at the minute concerning a man who had previously been homeless and had been housed by Louth County Council. He is now having a recurrence of his mental health issues, which has happened previously. The problem, I assume, is that he is not taking his prescribed medication. There is probably street medication. Street tablets would be taken. He now has in his house a whole pile of people that neighbours would not necessarily want to have there, creating an awful lot of antisocial behaviour.
Louth County Council is attempting to address it. The question is how the response can be escalated. The Garda says that it is difficult for it to bring about an involuntary admission. Mental health services are not offering anything. There is talk, when dealing with circumstances like this, that maybe it is the HSE or the social inclusion and community activation programme that has to escalate the response but the protocols need to be understood.
I have two more cases. They relate to parents who are in really difficult situations but I will leave those for the next round. It is a matter of the overall solution that is required. I will talk to the Minister of State about some of these issues afterwards.
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue and for his persistent advocacy in relation to mental health.
The Mental Health Act 2001 sets out the current legal framework for the involuntary admission and treatment of people in inpatient mental health services, known as approved centres, where a person has a mental disorder within the meaning of the Act.
Even though I passed the Mental Health Act earlier this year through the Houses and the President signed it into law, it has not been enacted because there will be a lead-in time of approximately two years. It is very complex legislation and it deals specifically with involuntary detention, especially for those who do not have capacity.
On the thrust of what the Deputy is saying, involuntary admission involves a three-step process. First, an initial application may be made by a family member, a member of An Garda Síochána, an authorised officer in the HSE or another person. We currently have 126 authorised officers around the country but we will be expanding that number considerably because, when the new Act comes into play, a member of An Garda Síochána will not have that authority anymore.
I expect to have approximately 500 authorised officers around the country.
Following the making of an application, the person is examined by a GP or other medical practitioner. Under the Act, if the medical practitioner believes the person has a mental disorder, they will then be referred to an approved centre for examination by a consultant psychiatrist. The consultant psychiatrist must certify that the person has a mental disorder and requires admission before an order to involuntarily admit that person is made.
For a person to have a mental disorder, there must be a likelihood of the person being an immediate and serious risk of harm to themselves or to others or, because of their condition, the person is likely to seriously deteriorate in the community and his or her detention is likely to be of materiel benefit to the person. To be clear, members of An Garda Síochána cannot admit anyone. They can recommend. They can ask for a consultant psychiatrist to look at a person and determine whether they should be voluntarily or involuntarily detained for their own safety.
The following is really important. To deprive someone of their liberty is a serious infringement of that person's human rights and must only be done when it is absolutely necessary and only in accordance with the robust legal safeguards. The decision to involuntarily admit someone under the Mental Health Act is a clinical decision and can only be made by a consultant psychiatrist. Just because a person may benefit from inpatient admission is not sufficient grounds to deprive them of their liberty. A person is entitled to refuse treatment for physical or mental health conditions. Only when a person meets the criteria for involuntary admission can they be admitted and treated without consent.
That said, I fully accept that many people experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness need more support. The answers cannot simply be to broaden the grounds for involuntary admission. We need services that are more responsive, more flexible and better able to meet people where they are, particularly those whose illnesses, housing circumstances and complex needs make it difficult to access or engage with traditional services. Our focus must be on reaching and engaging people earlier, building trust, and ensuring that care is available in ways that work for them before a crisis point is reached.
I have to be clear that a person's housing status does not affect their right to refuse care, provided they have the capacity to make decisions about their own care. That is why we are opening Solace Cafés across the country. We have six open now. Three more are funded this year for Donegal, Mullingar and Kerry, and I hope to open many more next year, if I receive the financial support in the budget.
I understand what the Minister of State is saying in relation to the lead-in that is required for the new Mental Health Act. However, even in the short term, is it the case that we need guidelines, whether they are being given to local authorities or GPs at times? We could all have an argument about what is immediate or serious harm and whether someone is going to seriously deteriorate. I would argue on the cases I have cited that there has at times been a deterioration that is very obvious, but people are afraid. Furthermore, I get the idea that, in a perfect scenario, we assume there is capacity, but we are dealing with issues where people are making really dreadful decisions that are impacting on themselves and others and, in some cases, are very dangerous.
On some levels, families do not have the capacity to start the forms and their interaction with mental health services can sometimes be imperfect. I accept that some of that is down to them seeing themselves as being constrained by rules, laws and resources, but I have seen circumstances where there had been an attempt. One of the young men has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and is off his tablets. The mother had previously had to get protection orders. He is living there and she is very worried that the situation is deteriorating. In fairness, there was an attempt at getting a voluntary admission, but it did not work. I will not even bother reading out the response I received from the HSE. We need to find a way to deal with this.
Just in the last day, a mother was in. Her son, who is 29, has a long history of mental illness. In some instances, mental illness has brought him into prison, but he does not want support at this point in time. They cannot get a referral from a GP. Community services have put him off the books and his mother needs a solution.
The Deputy mentioned several cases that I cannot speak to individually. However, I must be crystal clear that there are absolutely no circumstances where, if a consultant psychiatrist determines that a person must be involuntarily detained against their consent for their own safety or the safety of others, there is a resource issue. That is categorically not true. If we do not have enough capacity-----
It is about getting the person to that point.
The Deputy cannot throw out statements like that, saying it is a resource issue in relation to involuntary detention.
People have to get them to the psychiatrist.
I am sorry, but Deputy Ó Murchú must listen to the answer because we cannot just change a whole piece of legislation that has been there since 2001 for individual cases. We have to be very clear that there are huge criteria relating to how people are involuntarily detained, especially when they do not have capacity. We did not mention that today. We also did not mention the fact that, in a lot of these cases, there is a dual diagnosis of a mental disorder and drug addiction.
It has to be understood that it is not down to the garda, the family or the GP alone. In many instances, it is the family and GP working together. They make a referral to mental health services because they believe the person meets the criteria to be legally detained under the Act, and there is a legal framework to back it up. A consultant psychiatrist will then determine whether the person reaches the capacity or not. The capacity must be the likelihood of that person being an immediate and serious risk of harm to self or others or because of their condition the person is likely to seriously deteriorate in the community and his or her detention is likely to be of material benefit to the person. The department of psychiatry is not a place to put a person because they are homeless. We must be very clear on that. It is about all elements of the State coming together.
The Deputy might send me a couple of the cases he mentioned to see if I can be of any help to him. I know he is genuinely worried about them, but I have to work within the Act I currently have.
Closed-Circuit Television Systems
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, for coming here this morning. It is good to have someone from the actual Department.
This feels to me a bit like Groundhog Day because it is my fourth time raising this issue. It is my second Topical Issue Debate, and I am effectively going to say the same thing I said ten months ago, so I sincerely hope that the Minister of State's Department has not given her the same reply as they gave another Minister ten months ago.
There is a comprehensive network of CCTV cameras in Limerick, 240 of which are monitored live. They were put in place for a specific reason, that being, we previously had a very violent feud in Limerick. They were put in place because, ten years ago this month, two children were burned alive in a car in Moyross. These cameras are stationed explicitly mainly in the city's four main regeneration areas, namely, Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and St. Mary's Park. They were initially funded through economic social intervention funding through the regeneration process through the Department of housing. Regeneration has now concluded. That funding is being progressively wound down, which means there is a funding deficit every year to fund the ongoing live monitoring and maintenance of this camera network.
Last year, thankfully, the Mayor, John Moran, stepped in with his mayoral fund and plugged the gap of last year's funding deficit. He did that on the basis that he was asked by the Minister of State's Department and by the Minister for justice effectively for more time to deliver a permanent funding solution. We are now nearly a year on from that and a funding solution has not been forthcoming. This year, State funding is going to drop to €550,000, leaving a €660,000 shortfall that our local authority cannot absorb.
The issue is that, when I raise this issue, I get a response from the Minister of State's Department that intimates that I might be talking about community CCTV and that the Department can only fund CCTV up to €40,000. The issue here is that we have a specific, almost bespoke, case in Limerick because, unfortunately, we have had quite significant violence in the city.
The cameras have been transformative. There is a 70% prosecution rate with them. The tragic murder of Rose Hanrahan was effectively solved because the perpetrator was apprehended through the cameras. The chief superintendent and An Garda Síochána have been clear this is one of the most important tools they have to carry out their day-to-day duties. If the Minister of State turns these off, she might as well take 20 or 30 gardaí and bus them back to Templemore. This is something we have cross-party consensus on. My colleague, Senator Ryan, raised it in the Seanad recently. Deputy O'Dea raised it with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, recently and the Minister said he would endeavour to make sure the cameras do not have to be turned off.
A working group was supposed to be set up last year to deal with this issue. I would like to know, though maybe the Minister of State will have to come back to me with this, how many times that working group met. What were the outcomes of those meetings? I cannot get that information through parliamentary questions. Will the Minister of State and her Department agree to meet with Oireachtas Members from the mid-west and with the Mayor to find the solution to this? Will she agree, at least in principle, that the cameras cannot be turned off and that it would be detrimental to public safety and confidence in policing locally?
Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Deputy Catherine Ardagh)
I thank Deputy Sheehan for raising this matter. He said he has raised it on numerous occasions in this House. He outlined the huge success rate of CCTV in Moyross and Limerick. CCTV across the country makes us feel more secure in the community and in our own homes.
Community safety is a top priority for me, with delegated responsibility for youth justice, and for my Department. Everyone has the right to feel safe and free in their communities. Community CCTV plays a huge role in achieving this. CCTV in public places gives people a greater sense of security. It is also effective in deterring criminal activity and antisocial behaviour and in assisting with the investigation of crime.
The consideration and operation of community CCTV is a matter for the local authority concerned. As Minister of State, I have no role in the day-to-day operation of local authorities. Updates on individual schemes should be sought from the relevant local authority. CCTV infrastructure across the city and county continues to support community safety, assist Garda investigations and deter criminal activity and antisocial behaviour.
I am aware of concerns regarding future funding arrangements for the Moyross CCTV scheme. It is not straightforward in terms of who is responsible for the funding. The majority of funding for this scheme was previously provided through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, together with significant support from the mayoral fund.
In August 2025, a business case was submitted to the Department of justice seeking funding for the retention of the Moyross CCTV scheme after the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage indicated its intention to reduce its financial contribution over time. In September 2025, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, wrote to the Commissioner stating that the Department could not provide funding as the business case and application did not fall within the scope of the community CCTV scheme. The Minister met with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, and the Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, in November 2025 to discuss future funding arrangements. Following those discussions, a decision was taken that funding for 2026 would be provided through the mayoral fund.
My Department's position remains that the Moyross scheme should either continue to be funded, directly or indirectly, by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, or be funded by the Mayor’s office or Limerick City and County Council. I recognise the value placed on the scheme locally. Information provided by Limerick City and County Council points to extensive use of CCTV footage in Garda investigations and highlights the importance of the system in supporting public safety and criminal prosecutions, particularly where witness intimidation has historically been a concern.
I note the Deputy's asks on the working group, how many times it has met and the outcomes. I will have to come back to him on that. I will make a note of that today. I will also pass on his request for a meeting between Limerick Oireachtas Members and the Minister.
In relation to a commitment that the CCTV will not be turned off, as a junior Minister in the Department, I cannot give a full commitment today but I will come back to the Deputy. As the funding is at the moment divvied out by the Department of housing and the mayoral fund, maybe he is asking the wrong Department but I will come back to him with an answer on that.
My frustration is that the Department of housing and the Department of justice seem to be operating in silos in relation to this. They do not seem to talk to one another. We are talking about €600,000 per year to plug the gap and ensure the continuation of this service. The irony is not lost on me of Government putting €58 million directly into infrastructure for the Ryder Cup, while we are talking about the live monitoring of the CCTV network that keeps the people of Limerick safe - not just Limerick city, it goes into Limerick county as well.
The Minister for justice often talks about his belief in high-visibility policing, yet he is effectively going to allow An Garda Síochána in Limerick to be blindfolded if the live monitoring ceases. This is incredibly serious. We have a feud bubbling up, particularly in the Ballinacurra Weston area. It needs the cameras. Cameras are very effective when gardaí get reports from communities. The Minister of State represents a similar type of constituency. People are not inclined to come forward with specific reports when incidents occur but when gardaí check the cameras, they clearly see what has happened. I do not want the people of Limerick to become collateral damage in a game of ping-pong between the Department of housing and the Department of justice. The Department of housing constantly states its position is that ESIF funding is gone, regeneration has concluded and, because of that, it no longer has a vehicle through which to fund it. Could we not at least sit down with all the relevant stakeholders to see if we can find a solution to this and allow the live monitoring to continue, so the safety of the people of Limerick is not put at risk?
I represent a similar constituency with significant intergenerational disadvantage and intergenerational trauma. We do not have widespread CCTV in Dublin South-Central but I can absolutely see the benefit of it. The Deputy makes a compelling case for ensuring this deadlock in relation to funding is overcome. I will be certain to pass on his requests to the Department.
The Government is progressing nationally a new framework for the authorisation and operation of CCTV schemes through Part 5 of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023. This will provide a modern and consistent legislative basis for CCTV schemes with clear responsibilities for An Garda Síochána and local authorities. The Deputy will not have to come into the House and try to mediate who will be paying for this CCTV scheme. I am pleased the legislative and operational work required to support commencement is expected to be completed within the next few weeks. The new framework will support the continued development of CCTV as an important community safety tool and provide greater clarity on the operation of CCTV schemes.
I recognise the important contribution CCTV infrastructure makes across Limerick, including the Moyross scheme, and the value local communities place on such schemes. I welcome the engagement that has taken place between all relevant stakeholders regarding future arrangements. I look forward to continued co-operation between my Department, An Garda Síochána, Limerick City and County Council and other stakeholders to ensure CCTV infrastructure across Limerick continues to support safer and stronger communities into the future.
Schools Building Projects
Is scoil dara leibhéal, lán-Ghaeilge í Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. Tá sí lonnaithe i measc seomraí ranga atá ar iasacht ón scoil béal dorais. Tá prefabs in úsáid aici chomh maith. Beagnach 25 bliain ó shin, gealladh go mbeadh foirgneamh á sholáthar ag an Roinn chuig pobal na scoile, ach níl sé sin tar éis tarlú go fóill in ainneoin an ama sin ar fad. Tar éis na moille seo ar fad, tá dul chun cinn beag déanta againn. D’imigh an foirgneamh amach le haghaidh tairiscintí an bhliain seo. Tugadh gealltanas dúinn ar fad go mbeadh an tógáil ag tosú sa ráithe deireanach den bhliain, ach níor tharla sé sin go fóill agus an chéad trian den ráithe sin beagnach imithe. Tá daltaí, foireann agus pobal na scoile ar fad ag fanacht rófhada don scoil nua seo. Caithfear brú áirithe a chur ar an Roinn chun an scoil seo a sholáthar gan a thuilleadh moille.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position in relation to the new school building of Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Dublin 13. This school building project will cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 600 students with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs.
It is a project which has been a long time in development. The preliminary design stage 1 focused on assessing the most appropriate options for locating the new school building on the school site at Grange Community College. This work included site surveys and an assessment of impact on the existing Grange Community College school. The process confirmed the viability of the project on the Grange Community College site and enabled my Department to approve the project to stage 2A of the design process in February 2013. The design team submitted its stage 2A report in August 2015 and my Department authorised the design team to progress to stage 2B in February 2017. As the Deputy is aware, the original grant of planning was due to expire in December 2022. Due to changes to the planning Acts in September 2021, a new application was required and the final grant of planning permission was received in December 2023. I am pleased to inform the Dáil that the invitation to tender issued late in the fourth quarter of 2025. Tenders have recently been returned, and the design team is currently carrying out a detailed review in order to submit the tender report to my Department. It is envisaged that construction will commence in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Since 2020, the Department of education has provided over €2 billion in capital funding for Dublin schools. Over this period, a total of 300 schools have been upgraded through provision of either a new school building, extension, modular accommodation or climate pathfinder projects. Some 20 school projects to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 were included in the NDP implementation plan, including Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. There are currently 47 large scale extension, modular or climate pathfinder projects in Dublin under construction. There are also 53 projects under way through the climate action summer works scheme. In addition, since 2020 a total of 541 special classes have been sanctioned in Dublin, of which 140 were sanctioned for September 2026.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Dhá bhliain ó shin, bhrath daltaí, tuismitheoirí, bord bainistíochta agus foireann na scoile nach raibh aon dul as acu ach dul amach ar an mbóthar ag agóidíocht de bharr na moille agus easpa soiléireachta ó thaobh spriocdhátaí don próiseas tógála de. Is mór an náire atá ar an Roinn gur thóg sé 25 bliain le teacht chuig an bpointe seo. D’imigh daltaí, a thosaigh a gcuid oideachais dara leibhéil leis an ngealltanas go mbeadh scoil nua ar fáil dóibh, tríd an córas i sean prefabs a bhí briste agus fuar. Tá na daltaí sin críochnaithe lena gcuid oideachais anois. Níl sé seo maith go leor. Cathain a bheidh na tarracóirí agus na tógálaithe ar an suíomh ag obair ar an tionscnamh áirithe seo?
It is envisaged that construction will commence in the fourth quarter of 2026. When I came into this Department earlier this year, Gaelcholáiste Reachrann was announced as part of the 105 school building projects on the NDP list, so this is a priority for my Department and, as I have said, it is due to go to commence construction in the fourth quarter of this year.
Schools Building Projects
I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for choosing this Topical Issue. It is a matter close to my heart. It is my local school and my former primary school that I attended until 1987, and I thank the Minister for attending here this morning in person.
I acknowledge that Scoil Mhuire was one of 105 schools on the list of priority school buildings for the years 2026-27 as part of the €1.6 billion investment for this initial tranche published in January of this year. I thank the Minister for her involvement in this and for including Scoil Mhuire, Maigh Cuilinn ar an liosta.
At present, there are 383 pupils enrolled in Scoil Mhuire. There are 24 teachers, seven special needs assistants and an administrative principal, Terry Kavanagh. I acknowledge Mr. Kavanagh's work and that of the board of management and I thank previous boards of management for their dedication on this project over the years.
The brief of this project is the demolition of the existing and original single-storey building and the development of a new 16-classroom primary school with two classrooms for pupils with special educational needs at the current though enlarged site in Moycullen.
Tréaslaím an obair atá déanta ag an Aire, an Teachta Naughton, an príomhoide, Terry Kavanagh, agus an bord bainistíochta. Tá Scoil Mhuire ar cheann de na 105 scoil ar an liosta a d’fhoilsigh an tAire i mí Eanáir. Teastaíonn scoil nua go géar. Tá 383 dalta ag freastal ar an scoil faoi láthair. I measc na foirne, tá 24 múinteoir, seacht cúntóir riachtanas speisialta agus an príomhoide riaracháin. Tá an bord bainistíochta ag lorg scoil nua ina mbeidh 16 rang agus dhá sheomra oideachais speisialta. Tá cead pleanála ag an mbord bainistíochta agus an deoise. Tá an scoil ar an liosta tosaíochta. Cad is cúis leis an moill?
The diocese and the board of management have planning permission for this school. They have had it for a period of time. It has appeared on a number of lists, including, thanks to the Minister, the list of 105 schools that was published in January of this year in this initial tranche.
I have raised this on numerous occasions in this House and the other House and I have every confidence that this will be the last time that I will have to raise this school project. As I said, it is a project that is very close to my heart. It is on the priority list of 105 schools. The present facilities are not good enough. There is a great standard of education and it is a great school, but there are a lot prefabs. It is a single-storey building. It needs to be demolished and upgraded. Where are we at and what is the delay?
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position in relation to the new school building for Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen, County Galway. At the outset, I would like to state that the delivery of this new school building is a significant priority for me and my Department and I know this is school in the Moycullen area is close to the Deputy's heart.
The brief for this major project is to provide a new 16-classroom primary school with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs at the existing site in Moycullen. The board of management has acquired additional land to accommodate the new build. This project is included in my Department's NDP implementation plan and is part of a first tranche of 105 prioritised schools to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027. I expect Scoil Mhuire to go to tender in the coming weeks.
As we both know, and the Deputy knows very well, Moycullen is part of the Galway city commuter belt and continues to experience strong population growth due to its proximity to the city and the attractiveness of that area as a residential location for many commuting families. The project supports the Department's objective to ensure sufficient school places in areas of population growth. The additional capacity will allow the school to accommodate projected demographic growth while providing a high-quality environment for teaching and learning.
The project for Scoil Mhuire is being delivered as part of the Department's ADAPT programme. The ADAPT programme uses a professional external project manager to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction. The project is at the completion of stage 2B of the architectural design process. Stage 2B involves detailed design, securing all statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documentation. Planning permission was secured in May 2023. As I said previously, this project is expected to progress to tender in the coming weeks.
I have visited the school, so I know the fantastic work that is happening there in teaching and learning, as well as the need for a new school. I know the work that Deputy Kyne has put into this, given that it is his local school. We look forward to seeing progress on this over the coming weeks.
Since 2020, the Department of education has provided over €283 million in capital funding for Galway schools. Over this period, a total of 98 schools have been upgraded through the provision of either a new school building, extension, modular accommodation or climate pathfinder projects. Ten school projects to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 were included in the national development plan implementation plan, including Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen. Since 2020, a total of 111 special classes have been sanctioned in Galway, of which 33 were sanctioned this September.
I thank the Minister for the response and for the excellent news that this project will go to tender in the coming weeks. I take it, therefore, that the Minister has engaged with the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, and that this project has been or is ready to be sanctioned by the Department of public expenditure. I acknowledge the progress with other schools as well. We were out yesterday at Coláiste Cholmcille in Indreabhán ag casadh an fhóid - turning the sod - on that extension. Work is also going ahead at Clifden Community School, which is also on the list. Therefore, three schools that were on that list have seen substantial progress. It is great news that this project will go to tender in the coming weeks. If the Minister could be more specific on the date, it would be great. I know the principal and board management will be anxiously awaiting a letter from the Minister’s staff and the Department in relation to the official sanction to go to tender. That will take some time, of course, but I am very happy to hear this news.
The school has been delivered under the ADAPT scheme, which is a devolved scheme. It is important to acknowledge the work of the principal and board of management. This is good news for Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen. Is é an dea-scéal ná go bhfuil an tAire ag rá go mbeidh an scoil ag dul go dtí an chéad chéim eile i gceann cúpla seachtain agus go mbeidh sí in ann dul amach ag lorg tairiscintí. Cuirim fáilte roimh an dea-scéal sin. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire.
I also acknowledge the hard work that the board of management and all the school team have put into this project. As I said, it is expected to proceed to tender shortly. In relation to engagement with the Department of public expenditure and reform, all school building projects that are over €10 million must be submitted to the Department of public expenditure and reform for its approval before proceeding to tender. This is one of a number of projects currently under review by the Department of public expenditure and reform. Our engagement has been positive and, as I said, I would expect this to go to tender in the next few weeks. We will keep Deputy Kyne updated on the matter. I thank him for raising it.