Written answers
Tuesday, 18 June 2024
Department of Education and Skills
Schools Building Projects
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the next round of tender offers will issue for school building projects in the Donegal area. [25895/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.
I also recently announced that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.
Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in this latest phase, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 550,000 square metres of new and modernised capacity to our school estate.
This is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country.
The key drivers of capital investment in the schools' sector include:
- demographic growth, particularly at post primary level
- increased demand for special educational needs provision
- alignment of school place provision with new housing development
- climate action objectives including deep energy retrofit.
There are also a large number of building projects currently in construction across Donegal including a new school building for Little Angels Special School, Knocknamona which will provide 2 early intervention/preschool rooms, 6 mild moderate classrooms, 10 ASD Classrooms and 3 severe and profound classrooms. An 8-classroom new school building plus 2 classroom SEN base is also in construction for Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí, Donegal Town. Currently, there are also 19 other smaller school extension projects plus 5 modular accommodation projects in construction across Co. Donegal.
A number of other new school building projects and extension projects providing additional school accommodation are at various stages of planning and delivery across Co. Donegal.
The status of all projects in the pipeline, including those at tender stage, is set out at www.gov.ie and is updated on a regular basis.
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when refurbishment works at a school (details supplied) will be completed; and the estimated cost of these works. [25896/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The major project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural planning Stage 4 – Construction.
It is estimated that the refurbishment works will be completed in early quarter 3, 2024 and as this is an integral part of the overall tender and the Contract awarded, it is not appropriate at this stage to provide the detailed cost information requested by the Deputy.
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