Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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168. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in relation to the provision of the five-year school building capital investment programme; her plans to introduce a new five year school building capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17807/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the National Development Plan 2018 to 2027, €8.4 billion is due to be invested in primary and post primary school buildings. The Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the School Building Programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve circa 360 large scale projects and circa 800 projects for delivery under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme.

While good progress continues to be made with the rollout of projects, the enhanced funding levels envisaged under the National Development Plan period 2018-2027 is weighted towards the second half of the NDP period.

My Department’s website shows the current position on all school projects on the Capital Programme, as well as listing the schools that have had large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date.

These are listed on a county basis. The information is available at www.education.ie and is updated regularly.

The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The second half of the NDP (from 2023 onwards) will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This upgrade and refurbishment programme will include a deep energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008. Planning for this retrofit programme is progressing with a number of pilot projects underway.