Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

255. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the detail of the current assessment of a school (details supplied) by her Department; and if her Department will now sanction a new school building. [45185/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to confirm that the name of the school to which the Deputy is referring has been clarified and the information provided below relates to the larger primary school in the relevant town.

I can confirm that an Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) application and First Level Education (FLE) application were assessed in 2019 for the school to which he refers. At that time, there was no deficit of accommodation identified. The school was advised that if their enrolments increase in the future, it was open to the school authority to make a further application.

However, the school has since been identified as a possible candidate for the Energy Pathfinder Programme to undergo extensive fabric upgrades to improve the energy performance of the building and the installation of renewable energy solutions.

As part of the 2022 Pathfinder programme, a number of schools will be chosen in rural and urban areas to undergo extensive fabric upgrades to improve the energy performance of the building and the installation of renewable energy solutions. Each school will be assessed comprehensively to ensure that the measures were suitable for that school and would deliver value to both the school and the pilot. Design teams will be appointed to each project, with medium to deep energy efficiency works delivered.

This Pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national schools’ programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 as included in the National Development Plan. It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, which will have been tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the schools’ sector.

My Department has determined that a potential project at the school in question could be of benefit in identifying learnings that can be rolled out in the national programme.

I can confirm that my Department's Professional and Technical staff visited the school recently and carried out a technical inspection. A report is currently being finalised and when this is completed, my Department’s officials will contact the school authority directly.