Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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46. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Laois will be provided with adequate classroom accommodation for the school year starting September 2017. [16548/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application for capital funding from the school in question in late 2016 to provide a learning support / resource area as well as additional ancillary accommodation. 

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department’s current priority has to be focused on the provision of essential classroom accommodation and to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. All applications for capital funding must be considered in the context of the limited funding available, which must of necessity, be prioritised for this purpose and to provide mainstream classroom accommodation where additional teachers are being appointed.

My Department has explained to the school that for the reasons I have outlined, it is not possible at this point to approve funding for the ancillary accommodation sought. However, funding has been approved to the school for a learning support / resource area to meet its immediate accommodation needs. The school has recently written to my Department relating to the accommodation approved and my Department will be in further contact with the school shortly following consideration of the correspondence.