Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved again in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues.

Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day.

My Department is very appreciative of the strong support provided by Government for our education budget. As part of the supplementary budget, €300m additional capital funding was provided in 2022. This helped to alleviate capital funding pressures that arose in 2022 which was reflective of the strong delivery by my Department of school building projects – particularly to support mainstream provision and special education needs provision. My Department’s overall capital outturn for 2022 was €1.12 billion.

The strong level of delivery is a key driver of capital pressures in the Department. In addition to the normal pressures on the school building budget, there are also additional pressures in the context of requirement to accelerate delivery of accommodation for children with Special Education Needs and also in respect of capacity for continued inflow of Ukrainian and other IP students – particularly at post-primary level where accommodation pressures are more acute

My Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for the remainder of 2023 in the context of its available funding. My Department's published NDP allocation for 2023 is €860 million. Over 70% of the NDP allocation for 2023 is needed to cover expenditure on contractual commitments on existing projects at construction carried forward from 2022. High construction inflation remains a continuing feature of the construction sector for 2023. As part of its planning ahead for the remainder of 2023, my Department is at the advanced stages of engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in relation to capital funding pressures in order to continue to adequately support the operation of the school system with rollout of school building projects to construction in 2023.

Key priorities for my Department's work programme include continuing strong delivery to support the operation of the school system with particular regard to planning ahead for the 2023/24 school year and beyond and also with particular regard to supporting special needs provision. The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the new school building for a school (details supplied). [14196/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme and has been devolved to the school for delivery.  The project will provide the following accommodation at the school:

3 Mainstream classrooms and 1 x SEN Base Unit, consisting of a SEN Classroom Base, Safe Space, Multi-sensory room and toilet.

This year, my Department will invest in excess of €2 billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget in the area of special educational needs support. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.

Over the last two years, the Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special education placements ahead of each new school year.  The Department continues to work with the NCSE in relation to the short-term requirements for special class and special school places and also the more strategic and longer-term requirements.  

Further to this and as part of my Department’s ongoing assessment of enrolment requirements for 2023 and the associated work programme, my officials have already engaged with the school authorities in question and issued approval of an additional special education needs (SEN) base and this has been accepted by the school authority. This additional provision of a second SEN to the school will be devolved for delivery to the school authority and the Department will be available to the school for assistance throughout the process to ensure delivery of the project.

While the school authority has identified a technical challenge presented by the current project, my Department is committed to providing the school with the additional accommodation it needs to provide a suitable learning environment for its pupils and the community as soon as possible. Following a review of the project by the professional and technical officials in my Department which identified and assessed all options to progress this project, my officials are engaging directly with the school authority to ensure this important project is progressed. 

My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved again in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. This is evidenced by the fact that there are currently 300 school building projects at construction stage and a further 1,000 at pre-construction stage.