Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she expects the school building programme at primary and second level to achieve its building targets notwithstanding the interruption of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24966/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The current NDP, as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework, provides for €8.8bn investment in schools during the period 2018 to 2027.

Very good progress is being made on delivering on NDP priorities. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projects under the Large Scale Capital Programme (LSCP) and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA). These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including permanent accommodation for 229 special classes; and additional capacity for 67 classrooms in 14 special schoolsthroughout the country.Delivery was also aided with the continuation of construction work on school building projects during the most recent Level 5 restrictions.

The Department has a significant existing pipeline of projects being delivered as part of NDP under the Large Scale Capital Programme and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. This involves in excess of 1,200 school building projects across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction. The current status of these projects being delivered is listed on a county by county basis on the Department of Education and Skill’s website at www.education.ieand updated on a monthly basis.There are currently in excess of 200 projects at construction activity stage, of which a significant proportion will be completed in 2021. The School Building Programme capital budget was fully utilised in 2020 and it is anticipated that the 2021 capital budget will be fully expended.

It should be noted that at individual project level, Design teams are required to provide a delivery programme to school authorities and to keep them updated on progress of their projects including through the provision of monthly progress reports.