James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

324. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an ASA application for school (details supplied); if she is aware of the importance of this application to the school, given current oversubscription of roll numbers, demand for school places and ever-increasing waiting lists for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29403/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.

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 or at other schools in the area.

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 National Council for Special Education (NCSE), and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes. The capacity at other schools in the area is also considered as part of the assessment of any accommodation needs.

Since 2020, my Department has invested in the region of €4.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 900 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 can confirm that my officials have been engaging with the school authorities in relation to progressing their application as a traditional build project. I am pleased to confirm that a brief letter of offer has issued to the school authorities in this regard and officials in my Department await a response from the school authority.