Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the additional school accommodation application by a school (details supplied) to expand its facilities to support learning. [4601/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.

The most recent application under the ASA scheme from the school referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department in January 2022.  This application is seeking funding for the significant modernisation of existing school accommodation.  It is curently being assesssed and on completion of the assessment process, the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision.

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Development Plan 2021-2030 provides capital funding of over €4.4bn for investment in school infrastructure during the period 2021 to 2025.  My Department’s priority in recent years has been providing additional capacity to provide the required school places and this continues to be the case. 

However, during the period 2021 to 2025, the NDP allocation for the School Education sector will provide for a number of key initiatives, including a strengthened focus on refurbishment and modernisation of existing school stock as part of underpinning the transition of the school system to an era of Net Zero carbon by 2050. 

My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have established a jointly funded pathfinder programme with the SEAI, testing and demonstrating energy efficiency and decarbonisation retrofit approaches. This Pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 as included in the National Development Plan.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support the application by a school (details supplied) for the addition of an ASD classroom to allow students with special educational needs to continue to attend their local school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4646/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of accommodation for pupils with special education needs is a priority for my Department.  My officials have close engagement with officials in the National Council for Special Education in respect of needs at primary and post primary level and also at special schools.  The delivery of accommodation to meet current and future requirements for classes for pupils with special education needs, as identified by the NCSE, is prioritised by my Department. 

I understand that St. Patrick's Central National School is currently in discussions with the NCSE about the potential establishment of a class for pupils with special education needs.  Where a school is interested in opening a special class, guidance in this respect is available on my Department's website and funding will be provided by my Department under the Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme, if it is required.  I welcome the commitment and cooperation from schools to ensure that sufficient places are available for pupils with special education needs. 

If a class for pupils with special education needs cannot be facilitated within the school's existing accommodation, my Department's ASA scheme supports the delivery of additional accommodation to meet the need.  I understand that enrolments at St. Patrick's Central National School have grown in recent years and it's possible that the provision of additional accommodation would be required to provide a classroom for pupils with special education needs at this school.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not yet received an application for additional accommodation from the school in question, however the school has been advised of the availability of the scheme and of the process for applying to my Department.