Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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304.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the up-to-date position with respect to an application from a school (details supplied) in County Cork for reconfiguration works to existing school accommodation for SEN purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25053/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question has submitted an application for capital funding, under my department's Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for reconfiguration of existing school accommodation to provide for one special education classroom.

The purpose of the Additional Schools' Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.

In general, demographics are falling at primary level and this trend is due to continue. Therefore the Department of Education in conjunction with the National Council for Special Education considers it prudent to maximise the use of existing spare accommodation capacity in National Schools within a general area in the first instance. This consideration is prior to the establishment of any additional special class that may require additional accommodation e.g. modular accommodation.

This approach can enable a special class to be established more quickly for the coming academic year as it is not bound by the provision of additional accommodation. This then means that the educational needs of children who require a specialist placement can be met at more easily. It may also allow for the earlier re-configuration of existing accommodation to occur in a more streamlined and efficient manner.

This overall approach is consistent with the Department’s commitment to supporting the educational needs of children who require specialist placements while at the same time meeting the requirements of the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines.

Schools’ support for the establishment of special classes is most welcome. Where additional accommodation is indicated as being required, an analysis of both student demand and available accommodation in an area is required. In this regard, the Department is working very closely with the NCSE to ensure that this required analysis is thoroughly explored with a view to providing the most immediate and cost effective accommodation solutions for the establishment of new special classes for the 2024/25 school year.

Since 2020, my department has invested in the region of €4.8 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 800 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 30 new school buildings. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2bn.

In Cork County alone, in the period 2020 to April 2024, there has been €593.82 million spent on projects in construction, in the pipeline & on completions. This includes 118 school building projects completed, 23 projects in construction, 8 projects at tender stage and 25 projects currently at detailed design stage.

The application for the school in question is being considered in this context and I can assure the Deputy that we are working to get a decision communicated to the school as soon as possible.