Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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275. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the schools in counties Laois and Offaly that have lodged applications to her Department for assistance in increasing building capacity; the status of these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5403/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands. My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified.

The current status of approved projects made by my Department, may be viewed on a county by county basis, on my Department’s website, www.education.ie which is updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the various stages. This includes both large-scale projects and projects in receipt of devolved funding under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. The latter is for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an additional enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.

My Department are currently in receipt of 11 applications under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme from schools in Laois and Offaly and these are currently under assessment.

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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276. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the school building for a school (details supplied); the efforts that her Department is making to ensure that students will be in the new building for September 2024 as per the original plans; the basis for any changes to this commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4389/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The permanent building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress projects through the stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.

As part of the conditions of sale of the permanent site for the school at Glenheron, Greystones, the lodgement of the application for planning permission for the project was under the remit of the vendor and my Department worked closely with the vendor in relation to the planning application for the new school. The final grant of planning permission for the school project referred to by the Deputy was received on 19th May 2022.

My Department progressed 8 Design & Build (D&B) projects (Lots 1 & 2) to construction in 2021. A further 10 projects (Lots 3, 4  & 5) issued to tender in June 2021, prior to the grant of planning permission for the school referred to by the Deputy in May 2022. A further 10 projects (Lot 6), including the project for the school referred to by the Deputy, are due to proceed to tender shortly.

My Department is currently assessing overall requirements for 2023 and associated work programme and will update individual schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, in due course.