Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Under Project Ireland 2040, the Department of Education is investing well in excess of €5 billion over the period 2021-25 to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost 1 million students and over 100,000 staff who learn and work in our schools every day. The Department of Education has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved again in 2023, notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues.

Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.3 billion in schools, including the completion of over 470 school building projects, with construction currently under way at approximately 300 other projects which includes 34 new school buildings.

The Deputy clearly outlined a situation in her constituency. It sounds like one of the most pressing ones I have heard and in taking questions for the Minister, I have heard a few.

I do not have dates for the Deputy on the schools that are progressing at present but I will certainly take back her message to the Minister for Education.

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