Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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309. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the capital budget allocation for her Department in 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [31084/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under Project Ireland 2040, the Department of Education 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.

My Department has a proven track record of delivery, with over 180 projects completed last year within a challenging construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. This year alone, in excess of 300 school building projects are currently under construction, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects at existing schools.

Key priorities for my Department are supporting the operation of the school system and adding necessary capacity to cater for special education needs provision, mainstream demographics and catering for students from Ukraine and other countries under the International Protection system.

Below is the table showing NDP outturn for the years 2021 and 2022.

The NDP Allocation for my Department in 2023 is €860 million. The Department has secured a funding agreement with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in relation to 2023 capital needs which is allowing for the continued rollout of urgent projects under the School Building Programme.