Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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717.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when an application for two temporary rooms will be approved for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32151/24]

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 temporary extra accommodation to provide for two special education needs classrooms.

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.

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 National Council of Special Education (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.

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.