Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Cathal Byrne for raising this important matter and giving me the opportunity the provide the current position regarding the planned school building project for Ramsgrange Community School, County Wexford.I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minster for Education, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton.

The school referred to by the Senator was approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects under the additional school accommodation scheme to provide ten general classrooms, one science lab, one science prep area, two special education classrooms, one music room and ancillary accommodation. This project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.

In December 2023, as the Senator outlined, the project was granted approval to proceed to stage 2b, detailed design of the architectural design process. This stage includes obtaining all statutory approvals, preparing a set of fully detailed tender documents and preparing an accurate pre-tender cost plan. The Department currently awaits submission of the stage 2b report. On submission of the report, the Department will carry out a detailed review from a technical and cost perspective. All projects, including this one, are subject to the full due diligence requirements set out in the Department’s infrastructure guidelines. Managing timing, scope and cost is crucial to staying within the budgetary limits of the overall programme.

As the Senator will be aware, the Department recently published a €7.55 billion NDP sectoral investment plan for the education and youth sectors to 2030. This involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and the prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent need. There will be a strong special education dimension to project roll-out. The Department recognises that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of proposed projects. The list of projects prioritised to proceed to tender and construction are focused on projects at a more advanced stage than the project at Ramsgrange school. Nevertheless, as the Senator outlined, the school has since raised a number of accommodation issues with the Department. The Department continues to engage with the school and the school management body to examine any urgent or priority works required at the school. That engagement is ongoing.

As part of planning for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the Department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline, having regard to the continued need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranche of programme that will go to tender. The Department energy and condition survey of school estates will be finalised later in 2026 and will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on the ongoing prioritisation process, some projects will be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027, having regard to their prioritisation and the urgency the Senator outlined, the need required and the ongoing ability to progress the school project to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the Department will assess opportunities to undertake advanced enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth transition to construction in 2028 and beyond. The project at Ramsgrange Community School will form part of that overall consideration, in consultation with the school authority, management board and patrons.