Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on an application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47772/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation from the school to which the Deputy refers.

The purpose of my Department’s 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.

The main focus of my Department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. However, my Department is working towards an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock, with particular focus on climate action goals.

Engagement between the school authority and officials in my Department has been ongoing regarding the schools accommodation needs and delivery mechanisms available for this accommodation. Once finalised the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme and has been engaging with the school in this respect.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department has broadened its delivery streams and is utilising Modern Methods of Construction, including Modular Accommodation, as well as traditional construction delivery methods. Modular accommodation has particular advantages in terms of overall timelines and also climate impact in that they do not generally have a reliance on fossil fuels.

In overall terms, it is important to have a range of delivery mechanisms for delivering school accommodation to support the current very strong and ambitious roll out of school building projects. This is particular relevant given the overall challenging construction sector market. A number of factors are considered by my Department in determining the most appropriate construction method to meet a school’s accommodation requirements, including the timing and duration of that accommodation need, and other school-specific factors.

The Department continues to undertake forward planning in relation to meeting the accommodation needs of increasing demographics at post-primary, students from Ukraine and International Protection students. In addition, the Department also works very closely with the NCSE in relation to forward planning for increased special education provision in the form of additional special classes and special school places.

In planning and providing for additional school accommodation, the Department must also have regard to construction inflation pressures and competing demands on suppliers of modular accommodation and project management services.

In response to these challenges both in terms of demand for accommodation and costs, the Department must prioritise spending and seek to achieve value for money in line with the public spending code/NDP framework. In general, demographics have been falling at primary level and are due to continue to decrease.

Therefore the Department considers it prudent to maximise the use of existing spare accommodation capacity at primary level in the first instance, before considering any applications for further accommodation needs. In relation to the provision of primary special classes, the shared preference of both the Department and the NCSE is to use and reconfigure existing school accommodation to provide special classes

The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision. The Deputy will appreciate that the immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a school place.

Under Project Ireland 2040 the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. There will be a rolling 5 year funding envelope which will be updated annually for the period 2026 to 2030 within the Government’s overall NDP funding envelope of €136 billion in exchequer capital (€165 billion total capital including non-Exchequer) that will facilitate building a modern and sustainable school infrastructure.

This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build and modernisation programme as well as the provision or modernisation of ancillary facilities such as GP rooms at primary level.

My Department is working towards the commencement of the modernisation programme. In this regard, funding of the GP hall for the school in question cannot be considered at this time.