Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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836.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will commit to working with the Minister for Health to finalise the transfer of 7 acres of land at St. Peter's, Castlepollard, to Longford/Westmeath Education and Training Board (details supplied). [33088/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A project to cater for 350 pupils plus Special Education Needs provision for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2B of the architectural planning process. This project can be facilitated within the existing site available to the school.

The main focus of the Department’s capital funding over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and children with special education needs. The Department is required to manage the overall school building programme so that we target and prioritise areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects the Department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.

The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and replacement of existing school infrastructure will be kept under review as capital funding allocations for future years are clarified. The Department must prioritise its limited capital resources, in the context both of the ongoing requirement for additional school places, including Special Education Needs places, and the high construction inflation which has significantly impacted on the cost of projects that we must deliver.

While the Department has had previous engagement from Longford Westmeath ETB requesting the acquisition of additional land for this school, no recent correspondence has been received in this respect.