Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on an application for funding to install another prefab to facilitate a second junior infants class in September for a school (details supplied). [4366/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department has received an application, under the Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme (ASA), from the school authority in question.

The purpose of the 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 €5.7 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,150 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 40 new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.3bn.

The department previously announced 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 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. 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 our fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.

I can confirm to the Deputy that officials from my department have been engaging with the school, in respect of the delivery of additional accommodation. However due to the restricted nature of the school site, the school has been advised to consult with their patron to explore potential options in this regard.

In the interim, my department will continue to engage with the authorities of the school in question with respect to its immediate accommodation needs and having regard to the educational requirements of the area more broadly.