Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

The Deputy has a wonderful way with the English language. I commend him on his determination and having the patience of being here until this time tonight. I am glad to be here representing the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee. I thank the Deputy on her behalf for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position regarding the major school building project for Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew, County Wicklow.

Delivery of the project has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, as part of the programme for school building projects. The brief for the project is to provide a new-build replacement school for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils, including a four-classroom special educational needs base. The project is currently in the final stages of stage 2b, the post planning process, of the architectural process, which allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. When this stage is finalised, the next stage is tendering for a contractor and then onwards to construction in due course.

The time a project takes to deliver depends on several factors, as the Deputy well knows, including scale and complexity, and is subject to the time it takes to progress through the various design stages and the statutory approval process.

While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, the NDFA will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of all progress.

I assure the Deputy that the Department of Education and Youth is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available for the pupils in Coláiste Bhríde and will in the wider context outlined ensure that this project, as for all projects on the school building programme, is subject to the due diligence required under the public infrastructure guidelines.

Since 2020, the Department of education has invested more than €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan, NDP, involving the completion of over 1,375 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. A recent Government decision approved €210 million in supplementary capital funding for the Department of Education and Youth, which brings the total capital allocation for 2025 for the Department to €1.6 billion.

As part of the NDP review process, all Departments, including the Department of Education and Youth, are currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, NDP Delivery and Reform with respect to NDP allocations for the period 2026 to 2030. It is expected that there will be clarity on these allocations over the summer period and this will allow the Department of Education and Youth to plan its capital investment programme for the 2026 to 2030 period in line with prioritised needs and reflecting, as appropriate, wider Government priorities.

Maximising existing capacity in schools to meet needs is very important. The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from autumn onwards after the NDP allocations are finalised.

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