Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The mid-term capital review made provision for increased investment in my Department’s school capital programme.

That programme has been delivering an average of 18,000 places per year in major projects and close to 8,000 per year in smaller scale additional accommodation. This building programme has allowed us meet the needs for extra places for an exceptional period of pupil growth, with close to an additional 100,000 pupils since 2011 at both primary and secondary levels. It has also allowed us to expand provision of special education units in mainstream schools from 548 to 1,304.

We have a very strong pipeline, with projects at various stages of development. This will include 85 major projects under construction or progressing to commence construction in 2018. I have also announced plans to establish 42 new schools over the longer period from 2019 to 2022.

As for its adequacy to meet growing needs, this programme has facilitated the employment of more than 6,000 extra teachers and 3,000 special needs assistants, SNAs, in a three-year period that has also seen two reductions in the primary pupil-teacher ratio.

My Department is satisfied that the €8.4 billion capital investment in the national development plan 2018 to 2027 is sufficient to deliver the necessary school infrastructure. This is a 70% increase on the €4.9 billion provided over the previous ten years.

This represents an opportunity over the next decade to make a very significant investment in our education infrastructure at primary, secondary and third level and further education. I am satisfied that the plans being set out will make a very significant mark and that education will be a key element in both social and economic progress in coming years.

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