Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Briefing on Current and Future Plans for the School Building Unit: Department of Education

Mr. Hubert Loftus:

If Ms Cusack has any observations in on the enrolment cap on Shannon, I will let her comment. I am conscious of time.

On refugee numbers, as a Department we are proud of the fact that we have put in sustainable, inclusive and integrated school place solutions for all of the Ukrainian children who have come into the school system over the past year, as well as all of the other children who have come through the international protection system. We have found that the regional educations and language teams, REALTs, we set up, supported by ETBs, have been a very good conduit for local engagement with schools and for working through accommodation solutions around that. We have found that very helpful and it is something that we will build on for the future.