Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on school building projects in Carlow; how many new schools are in planning stage; how many new school builds have started; how many have yet to be tendered for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22622/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department is 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. Over the last 3 years this Government has invested €2.6 billion in school buildings. This is a record level of investment and has helped to add capacity and modernise existing accommodation in schools throughout the country.

The Department of Education 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. There were over 180 school building projects delivered during 2022 which included accelerated delivery of modular accommodation, responding to increasing prevalence of special education needs, to facilitate additional capacity in special classes and special schools to cater for over 900 children. Circa. 300 school building projects continued in construction at the start of 2023 - the majority of which will be completed over the course of this year and early 2024. In this regard, it is worth noting that there were over 50 new school buildings under construction over the course of 2022. This is providing high quality new and energy efficient modern facilities in schools throughout the country.

The current status of all projects, including those in Co. Carlow, 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.