Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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278. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a new build for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41004/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 950 school building projects have been completed and 350 other projects are under construction, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 project currently at construction involves a total state investment of over €1.5 billion.

The Department 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.

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 building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation for children with special educational needs as part of a shared educational campus.

It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of multi-disciplinary design team consultants.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the school and their patron body informed of the progression of this campus project and will continue to liaise in relation to interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent accommodation for the school.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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279. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will visit a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41008/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The large scale capital project at the school is for the provision of a new 600 pupil school and ancillary accommodation. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award.

The original grant of planning expired in December 2022, but due to changes to the Planning Acts in September 2021, it was no longer possible to apply for an extension to the planning permission for the main building project and a new application was required. The new planning permission application was lodged, and subsequently granted in December 2023, with a number of conditions attached.

The Design Team are examining the implications of these conditions along with reviewing technical design information in relation to statutory and current technical design guidance.

The large scale capital project remains a priority for delivery.

My Department officials will be in contact with the School authority when the Design Team complete their review.