Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In terms of the Deputy's request, I am sure the Department is listening into this debate. I will certainly bring the Deputy's request back to the Department. On the issue of temporary accommodation, as the Deputy is probably aware, funding of €556,150 was recently approved for temporary accommodation. Talking specifically about timelines, I do not have the information here. That is something that the planning and building unit will have. The Deputy will appreciate that notwithstanding the wider construction environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues, the Department has still a strong track record of delivery. It delivered 180 school building projects during 2022, and 273 still remained under construction coming into 2023. Most of those will be completed this year. I know that the planning and building unit within the Department is currently assessing its work programme and its priorities for 2023 in the context of available funding. I can understand the concerns that the Deputy has in relation to this school building project, the fact that there is an increasing demographic and that there are projections that there are children who will need accommodation in a school in their locality, notwithstanding the special education part of this and the fact that there are two rooms there that are currently not being utilised.

There are children who will need accommodation in a school in their locality, notwithstanding the special education aspect and the fact there are two rooms that are not currently being utilised. I am not sure whether the school has received the sanction it needs from the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The Deputy may follow up with me on that if she so wishes. I do not want to see a situation in which rooms in schools that offer capacity for children with additional needs are not being used. The sooner we can progress this matter, the better. The project is at stage 2B of the architectural planning process and I hope it will progress further in early course.

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