Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Education, to provide an update to the House on the current position in respect of the campus project in Dunshaughlin for Dunshaughlin Community National School and Coláiste Ríoga. The Deputy will be aware that every Deputy in the House is inundated with various school projects.

Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 800 school building projects. Construction is under way at approximately 300 other projects, which include 31 new school buildings. Projects at construction involve a total State investment of €1.2 billion.

The Minister for Education recently announced that close to 90 school building projects currently at tender stage will be authorised to proceed to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, approximately €800 million will be invested in these projects under the Department's large-scale capital programme and additional accommodation scheme for essential classroom accommodation. This level of construction roll-out recognises the priority that Government puts on investment in education, including responding to the increased requirement for special education provision.

The Dunshaughlin school campus building project currently has planning permission and will, along with a number of other projects with planning permission, be brought to the level of employer-led design, with a design team assigned to do so under the supervision of the Department's project manager. The process of appointing the design team from the Department's frameworks of consultants was completed in September 2023 and the project is now progressing through design development stages.

Projects are subject to relevant due diligence by the Department of Education at each stage in the process within the context of overall programme and budgetary parameters. In late March, following a review of the national development plan allocations, the Government approved medium-term capital allocations for the Department of Education for the period to 2026. The Department's planning and building unit is now reviewing its programme plans in the context of those recently confirmed allocations.

Dunshaughlin Community National School is located in interim accommodation on the Dunshaughlin GAA site. The Department is working on providing additional interim accommodation to meet the demand for September 2024 and expects to lodge an application for an extension to the planning permission for that location shortly. The Department will continue to keep the schools updated through their patron body.

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