Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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589.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.[34744/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.

The purpose of my Department’s 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.

The main focus of my Department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. However, my Department is working towards an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock, with particular focus on climate action goals.

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 also announced earlier in the year 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 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.

I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question was approved a project for 3x Mainstream classrooms in 2019. The project is currently at stage 2b.

Officials from my Department are currently reviewing a building conditions report on the Convent building. I can assure the Deputy that the provision of required school places, including for children with special educational needs, is a priority for my Department and the consideration of the accommodation requirements for the school in question forms part of the Planning and Building Unit’s overall assessment of its work programme and priorities in the context of available capital funding.

Once the review is complete, the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision. I can only seek to assure you that we will advance this matter as quickly as possible.