Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of her Department’s engagement with a school (details supplied) in order to progress an application for a new school building. [23363/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to confirm to the Deputy, that an application for Major Capital Funding, has been received from the school in question. Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years.

The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large-scale projects being delivered under project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on my Department's website, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.

My Department is also in receipt of an application for funding under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school 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 latter part of the National Development Plan will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock.

The application is currently under consideration following my officials' recent meeting with the school. Once the assessment process has been completed a decision will issue to the school authority directly.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will report on the capital project for a school (details supplied); the remaining steps in the approval process: when a project manager will be appointed; when her Department was last in contact with the school in relation to the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23825/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework.

This major building project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering".

The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The tender process to appoint a Project Manager is being completed this week.

Once appointed, the Project Manager will commence the tender process for the appointment of a Design Team for each of the projects on this ADAPT programme, including this project.

My Department will keep the school authorities informed of the progression of these appointments as they proceed.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has received an application for additional school accommodation from a school (details supplied). [23364/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for funding under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school 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 latter part of the National Development Plan will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock.

Officials from my Department have recently corresponded with the school authority and on receipt of their response, the application will be progressed and a decision will issue to the school authority directly.