Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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382. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the temporary arrangements for schools (details supplied) in County Meath for physical accommodation to house the expected increased staff and pupil numbers in September 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57416/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that capital funding was approved under my Department's Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme for classrooms for children with special educational needs for both schools in question in 2018 and the projects are devolved to the school authority for delivery.

My Department is currently in receipt of an application from Duleek Boys national school requesting interim accommodation while awaiting completion of new build for this special class accommodation. The application is currently being assessed and when completed the school authorities will be notified diretcly with a decision.

There is currently no application on hand for additional accommodation from Duleek GNS.

The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation. This situation generally arises to cater for the accommodation needs of newly recognised schools and to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes. It is open to individual schools to submit an application if additional accommodation is required for September 2023.