Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021 programme, which was announced on 29 September 2015, provides for an investment of €4 billion in the Education sector through direct exchequer provision and the PPP programme. In excess of €3 billion of this investment is in respect of the school sector with in the order of 75% of this amount will be spent on the provision of permanent school places.

The Six Year Construction Plan for the period 2016 to 2021, that I announced in November 2015, as part of this capital investment programme, priorities new building projects and major extensions, including special schools, in areas where significant demographic need has been established.

In addition, the Plan prioritises projects that in addition to meeting increases in enrolments, have a major deficit of mainstream accommodation capacity for current enrolments, require major refurbishment and replacement of poor accommodation.

The Plan includes over 300 major school building projects where construction is expected to commence over the duration of the Plan. The timeline for when work is expected to proceed is outlined in the announcement. Each project is listed in the year when the commencement of construction works is anticipated.

My Department also considers applications from individual schools for devolved funding to meet an immediate accommodation requirement because of increased enrolments and where an additional teacher is being appointed. Applications are received on an ongoing basis and my Department receives in the region of 400 such applications annually.