Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28469/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for additional accommodation.

The application is being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28473/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving a recent application from the school in question.

The latest interaction that my Department had with the school was in 2017 and this related to the school’s application to replace a number of prefabricated units. My Department advised the school that due to the Department’s need to prioritise funding for the provision of essential mainstream classroom accommodation to meet demographic need, that it was not possible to consider the school's application at that time.

The school authority was also advised that it is my Department’s intention to replace temporary accommodation, including purchased accommodation, with permanent buildings, over the lifetime of my Department’s 6 Year Capital Programme.

To enable this development, my Department will be carrying out an assessment of the number of prefabs being used in schools to deliver the curriculum. This will also determine whether or not individual prefabs need to be replaced in the context of the long-term accommodation needs of each individual school. When completed this assessment will quantify the number of prefabs to be replaced.  It is intended that this assessment, when finalised, will enable the replacement of such prefabs to commence in 2019.  A funding provision of €180 million is being made available from 2019 for this initiative in the programme.