Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Accommodation
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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495. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the shortage of space at a school (details supplied) in County Meath; her plans to address this; the timelines for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46439/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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 the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) 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.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 950 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 350 other projects, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.5bn.
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.
- I am pleased to confirm that officials in my Department have corresponded with the school authority regarding their application and a brief for additional accommodation was agreed with the school in December 2024. The project was subsequently handed over to the department's delivery team who will liaise with the school authority in relation to the project being devolved to the school for delivery.
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