Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for taking this matter, which relates to the need for an update on the status of a new building for Macroom Youthreach further education and training centre. Macroom is my hometown in County Cork. For more than 20 years, the Youthreach building in Macroom has not been fit for purpose. There is little to no insulation. The only form of heating comes from a heater hanging from the ceiling and plug-in electrical heaters. The roof is not fire-proofed. There is mould throughout the building. There are exposed electrical wires throughout the building and a single bathroom for students and teachers. There have even been problems with rodents. These are just some of the issues with the building. There have also been water leaks, as well as flooding due to recent heavy rain. Without a doubt, the building is in breach of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.

Youthreach provides an invaluable service to young people in Macroom and the surrounding areas. It is a great testament to the wonderful staff that they continue to provide such high standards of education in these dire conditions. As well as those from Macroom town, students come from all over the mid-Cork region, with some even coming from as far away as Kenmare in County Kerry. By the Department's own admission, Youthreach works with the most vulnerable students. During lockdown, no others in the education sector were requested to work face to face apart from Youthreach students and staff.

In Macroom, Youthreach 25% of students come from international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centres and 20% from the Traveller community. A further 20% have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ASD. We are failing these vulnerable young people by providing them with an inadequate building in which to learn. At present, the centre is at full capacity, which is 20 students. While there is a great demand for more spaces it is not possible with the condition of the building. The team there had been advised that a new building would be ready by September last but this did not come happen. They are still awaiting confirmation on whether the proposed new building has been acquired and will be open and ready for its purpose in 2025. The team of students and staff in Youthreach Macroom carry out outstanding work and boast an exceptionally high success and progression rate. Students leave there with a major Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, award in employment skills. Many progress to further education and training, apprenticeships or employment. It is vital that a new building be secured as soon as possible.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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It is good to see the Acting Chair, Senator Rabbitte, back in office. This is the first opportunity I have had to engage with Senator Lynch. I congratulate her on her election. I look forward to working with her and other Members of the Upper House on many matters, particularly those relating to my brief.

I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important issue. As I know she is very aware, Youthreach is a vital programme designed to support young people who have left school early. Senator Lynch gave some statistics on the users of the service in Macroom which I have noted. I assure Senator Lynch that An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna, SOLAS, and Cork Education and Training Board, ETB, are very much engaged on this issue and are working together to progress a facility to ensure the continuation of the service.

Cork ETB runs the Youthreach centre in Macroom. It also provides services for a wide geographic area. I visited Cork and met the ETB on Friday last. The reason for my visit was the 30th anniversary of the Dillon's Cross project. This is a fantastic programme providing diverse paths to and from education for prison inmates. There is education for those in prison and for the families and spouses of people in prison. I was in Cork City Hall to celebrate this occasion with Cork ETB. I also had a separate meeting with the ETB executive. I met Dennis Leamy, the director further education, John Fitzgibbons, and several ETB board members, including Councillor Gillian Coughlan, chair of Cork ETB. We discussed a variety of matters relating to education in the Cork area.

As Senator Lynch knows, Youthreach provides integrated education, training and work experience, and focuses on personal development, literacy, numeracy and vocational skills. It offers a lifeline to many, with a second chance to build a brighter future. Almost 6,000 places are available nationwide under the Youthreach umbrella every year.

The kernel of Senator Lynch's matter relates to Macroom, and I will speak about the Youthreach service there in particular. I had an opportunity to visit Macroom last year in my previous role as Minister of State at the Department of Transport. I visited with Deputy Andreas Moynihan. We visited the sorting office, Millstreet train station up the road, the bus station in Macroom and a number of other sites. I am familiar with the town and I am familiar with some of the sites being proposed and considered.

The lease on the current building expired in 2012. Despite ongoing efforts, a new agreement with the landlord has not yet been reached. Property searches for alternative leased buildings have not been successful either. An interim arrangement is in place at present, but I note Senator Lynch's comments and agree the building is not in good condition.I also take on board the Senator's comments about health and safety and so forth. I understand the need for a suitable learning environment for both students and staff. Towards that end, SOLAS, supported by my Department, is supporting Cork ETB in seeking to develop a facility in Macroom to enable the continuation of delivery of Youthreach services and potentially expand further education and training delivery in areas of adult education. Discussions with a prospective new landlord are in progress. An application for a lease sanction is expected. However, that requires clear cost estimates and building works and a timeframe to be supplied and available.

Macroom Youthreach centre offers young people, aged 15 to 20, who are out of mainstream education an alternative educational pathway. It is approved for 20 Youthreach places, working with each individual student, placing emphasis on academic skills along with practical life skills in preparation for the wider world. There are various awards on offer across levels 3 and 4 on a variety of courses, which I am sure the Senator is familiar with: work experience; woodwork; career planning; personal effectiveness; literacy; computer literacy; horticulture; culinary arts; and many others.

The next steps, to get to the nub of the matter, involve the completion of a due diligence report by Cork ETB, SOLAS and the property oversight group, which is a cross-departmental team comprising officials from my Department and the Department of Education. They must consider the available options, including the prospective landlord currently being discussed, taking into consideration value for money, assessment of needs and climate targets.

I stress that we are keen - as Minister, I am very keen - to arrive at a solution, but there is still some work to be done at a more local level in terms of ironing out the details about the pledge of property that is being considered. As soon as the terms are favourable, I assure the Senator that I will not be found wanting in progressing the matter.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. I appreciate the detail in it and his obvious commitment to this. Nonetheless, it is incredibly disappointing that very little progress seems to have been made on this. Initially, there was meant to be a new centre in 2023, then in 2024. Being brutally honest, we are at the start of the month of March now, so from reading that, it is highly unlikely we will have progress for September 2025.

I would be obliged if the Minister could provide any further clarity as to where we actually are in terms of due diligence. In regard to sanctioning a lease, I am aware that there is a property in the town that is being considered, but the personnel in Youthreach and I were under the impression that the consideration was much further along than appears to be the case. The Minister noted within his response the level of services provided by Youthreach. It is a truly fantastic service and we are lucky to have it in the town, but the standard of the current building is disappointing. The Minister stated that he had been down there, but I will of course extend an invite to him to come down and see it again. It is poor that students and staff are in these conditions and the matter cannot seem to be expedited.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for the invite. I may well take her up on that at some stage when I am next in the area. I visited Cork ETB last Friday and discussed a range of areas, including plans at Carrigaline and other places where it has ambition. I share and support its ambitions, no less so in Macroom. There are some steps to go through as regards the proposed site, namely, value for money, assessment of needs, climate targets, modernisation, suitability and all the other criteria I would expect my officials to apply to any location. This one is no different. Cork ETB is on the move and is a proactive and dynamic organisation. It has a renewed and reimagined further education provision model. There is that intention to consolidate around a purpose-adapted single facility. It would follow the lines of the Mallow development, with which the Senator may be familiar. That is the intention.

I assure the Senator that, from my discussions with Cork ETB and my Department, the ETB, SOLAS and I are committed to making this happen, but there is some work to do on it. Perhaps the Senator might wish to use her offices at local level, too. We will all do a bit. I will push from this side and she might makes representations locally as well to get everyone moving forward.