Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on her election and elevation to the position. She will bring distinction to the role. Comhghairdeas leat agus beir bua.

I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this matter. I apologise that I do not have a copy of the written reply for her. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Education. I will ask the Department to liaise with the Senator afterwards. I apologise sincerely to her that I do not have a script for her.

As the Senator outlined, Grange Post-Primary School is in north Sligo. It is a growing school with an enrolment in 2023 of 223 students. It has initiated a 14-room extension request. As Members will be aware, the purpose of the additional schools accommodation, ASA, scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation. Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested more than €5.7 billion in our schools, involving the completion of more than 1,150 school building projects. Construction is under way in approximately 300 other projects, which involve new school buildings, some of which are being delivered in phases. The 300 projects currently in construction involve a total State investment of more than €1.3 billion. More than €48 million has been invested in schools in County Sligo since 2020. The Department announced earlier this year that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, will be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and into this year. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the Department’s large-scale capital programme and additional accommodation scheme for essential classroom accommodation. Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in this latest phase, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 550,000 sq. m of new and modernised capacity to our school estate. This is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities around the country.

In the context of Senator Cosgrove's Commencement matter, Grange Post-Primary School currently has a traditional ASA school project in train consisting of three general classrooms, one music room, one science lab and preparation area, one graphics room, one home economics room, one construction room and preparation area, one special education classroom and one universal access toilet. This project is devolved to Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB, as the school’s patron, for delivery. The Senator asked specific questions. My information is that there have been particular technical issues with the project, including parking provision. Department officials are engaging with the design team to get required clarification on the parking issues. A subsequent ASA application was also received by the Department seeking provision of temporary accommodation of two mainstream classrooms and two toilet blocks in a modular build. Modern methods of construction including modular accommodation from the Department’s framework provide high-quality accommodation solutions for schools. The Department engaged with Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB with respect to the proposed modular accommodation with a view to providing the accommodation requested and adjusting the accommodation to be provided as part of the traditional construction project. I am informed that Department officials are continuing to engage with the ETB in this matter.