Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional resources will be provided for a school (details supplied) to allow for an increase in the student population specifically in order that additional first year students can be taken in for the academic year 2022. [56198/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school authority in question.

The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

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 National Development Plan will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This modernisation programme will include PE Halls and associated accommodation to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision.

The application has been assessed and a decision has issued to the school authority directly in line with these priorities.