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

By way of background, over the last number of years we have been running hard to accommodate the additional 100,000 pupils at primary and secondary levels, which is a staggering number of additional school places that we have had to provide. This task has dominated our capital budgets and this has meant that some of the refurbishment and upgrades we would like to be able to do have not been possible. On a positive note, the national development plan provides for €8.8 billion investment in school infrastructure. We plan to start a prefab replacement programme in 2019. Beyond this, we intend to have a deep refurbishment of all schools over ten years old, including energy retrofit. There is a very strong pipeline of investment for the future. We are nearing the end of real pressure on our budgets to in the future being able to do more.

As mentioned by the Senator, in 2017 the school was approved by the NCSE for an ASD unit, for which the school sought commencement in September 2017. In the intervening period, the school was granted temporary accommodation to enable the ASD unit to get off the ground and provide the service needed. Earlier this year, the school submitted an application for capital funding for not only the two ASD classrooms but additional mainstream classrooms which it considers will be required into the future on the basis of the schools projected enrolment. The school has gone beyond the original application in respect of the ASD unit, which the Senator referenced when she said it wanted the opportunity to pitch for additional accommodation to develop the school. Those two issues will be looked at slightly differently within the Department. The ASD unit is clearly necessary accommodation. We always want to move to try to upgrade those facilities. Officials are working closely with the principal and they will be looking at this specific application. A response to the school is imminent and I have been given an assurance that it will be before the end of this school year. While facilities are there and are providing accommodation, we are assessing the application made by the school and we will get back to it as soon as possible.