Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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551. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an application submitted from an organisation (details supplied) to the planning and buildings unit of her Department will remain open and be given priority when applications are examined in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37600/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, 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 particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision in order to ensure every pupil has a school place each September. However, under Project Ireland 2040, there will be an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This will include a PE Hall build and modernisation programme to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision. The ancillary accommodation needs of primary schools, such as General Purpose rooms will also be considered.

The Deputy may also be aware of the very significant school building programme that is currently underway. Overall, there are in excess of 1,300 school building projects at various stages of design, planning, and construction. The current status of approved projects under the school building programme is listed on a county by county basis on my Department's website at www.gov.ieand is regularly updated.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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552. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide each project life cycle stage and the estimated period for completion for these stages undertaken by the planning and building unit for the delivery of capital projects under the additional accommodation scheme. [37618/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There are five stages of architectural planning involved in the delivery of both major and Additional School Accommodation (ASA) school projects. The stages reflect the Capital Works Management Framework developed by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform.

The stages are as follows:

Stage 1 – Preliminary Design;

Stage 2 - Design including planning where required;

Stage 3 - Tender Action, Evaluation and Award;

Stage 4 – Construction;

Stage 5 - Handover of Works and Final Account

ASA projects are demand led and devolved to school authorities for implementation. The length of time a project takes to go through each stage varies and depends on a number of factors, including scale and complexity, and is subject to the time it takes to progress through the statutory approval process including planning where required. My Department has good streamlined arrangements in place to facilitate timely review of stages submissions to enable projects progress as quickly as possible.

My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under the Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction. Most of which are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period up to 2025 and are being progressed as quickly as possible. The current status of these projects being delivered is listed on a county by county basis on www.gov.ieand is updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the various stages.