Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions she is taking to assist with the shrinking play area at a school (details supplied); if she will review this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40797/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department is not in receipt of a current application from the school in question, for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.

The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.

I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has very recently received correspondence from the school in question regarding retrospective funding for the play area at the school. You will appreciate that officials in my Department will need to consider this correspondence carefully.

Officials in my Department will consider the correspondence received and will liaise with the school authority directly.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has provided significant capital funding to provide refurbished accommodation to a former school building to cater for the recently established school referred to by the Deputy. The refurbishment works was provided in two phases and provided high quality facilities comprising a total of 8 classrooms and ancillary provision including Quiet Spaces, a multi-purpose sensory room and external play areas.

The hall in question is in the ownership of a third party and is not part of the accommodation available to the school.