Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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444. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 365 of 18 February 2025, the Department funding streams available to a school in the early stages of developing plans to build a multi-use hall, following on from the inclusion of plans to deliver a PE build and modernisation programme in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8023/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The provision of sports halls is part of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls/Sports Gyms, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. Almost 95% of the post primary schools that made 2020 Annual Schools Returns have indicated to the Department that they either have a PE Hall/Sports gym, access to a nearby PE Hall/Sports Gym, or a project in train that will deliver a new PE Hall/sports gym. Practically all schools have outdoor play areas and many schools use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. The Department provides professional and technical support and guidance documentation to design teams appointed to progress school capital projects including PE and GP halls. Approved projects are assisted with professional advice based on the published technical guidance available on gov.ie as they progress through the various stages of architectural design.

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 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 announced in 2024 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 Deputy will appreciate that 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. A future strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build/Sports gym and modernisation programme which will enable all students in post-primary schools to have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision and provide important amenities for local communities.