Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available to a secondary school (details supplied) to apply for developing a community garden on the school grounds and whether her Department will provide funding. [10261/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that funding is available to all schools for projects that support the implementation of our 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development - ESD to 2030.

ESD aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development (SDG 4.7). ESD encompasses the three strands of Sustainable Development: Social Sustainability, Economic Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability.

Since 2021, schools have applied under the ESD to 2030 funding call to support a wide range of ESD projects including the development of school gardens. A list of schools and projects granted funding is available on the ESD to 2030 webpage: gov.ie - National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development in Ireland

In 2024, the Department delivered over €450k in grants to 190 schools who applied for ESD funding and circa €415k in grants to 20 organisations supporting ESD in schools.

The funding call for schools issues in September and is notified to all schools via our quarterly ESD Newsletter. The call is also highlighted on the Departments social media channels.

All schools in receipt of ESD funding commit to publishing their Sustainability Policy Statement in accordance with the School Sector Climate Action Mandate. The Department has published a Sustainability Toolkit for schools to support this work.

A 1st progress report on ESD to 2030 was published in November 2023 and a 2nd progress report is currently being developed for publication during the summer. The ESD Newsletter and the Progress Reports highlight just some of the excellent and exciting ESD work underway in schools right across the country.

Biodiversity Ireland, in collaboration with the Department, has recently launched a free on-line training course "Managing School Grounds for Biodiversity", aimed at school caretakers and maintenance staff in accordance with the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.

In terms of new schools buildings, our current school design guidance documentation as published on gov.ie includes the following guidance in relation to landscape design and school gardens for new school building projects:

Extracts from TGD 020 – General Design Guidelines for Schools (Primary & post Primary):

14.1 LANDSCAPE DESIGN includes;

• Provision should be made for the preparation and landscaping of the area around the school and between the school and the site entrance. Such landscaping should be simple, cost effective and easy to maintain.
• The external spaces and landscape design must be considered as an integral part of the project from the outset.
• The design should utilise fully the potential for external spaces to provide an attractive setting. The type and layout of the landscaping in conjunction with the scale and form of the buildings has a potential to contribute positively to the school environment and the neighbourhood.
• The Design Team should consider the natural routes for footpaths through the site to the school entrances in determining the appropriate location and extent of paths provided.
• The use of paving textures, artworks and planting should be considered to create diverse sensory experiences within the school grounds whilst aiding the recognition of routes for students and visitors.
• An allowance for planting of trees and shrubs should be made. Such shrubs and trees should help define the site boundaries and external circulation routes, and should be hardy, durable and low maintenance.
• The external landscape can also include ‘biodiversity areas’ if required by the school. These can provide a valuable resource for teaching and learning across the whole curriculum, as well as for children’s emotional, social and cultural development. Where provided the biodiversity area may include meadowland, wildlife habitats, gardens and outdoor science areas.
• In order to minimise energy consumption and to encourage biodiversity, consideration should be given to the provision substantial “wild areas” with minimal mowing requirements, for example, once or twice per annum, rather than frequent mowing regimes that result in sterile mono-cultures.
• Where space permits grass kick-about practice areas can be provided.

11.1 SITE includes;

• Design Teams should consider the design of landscaping elements to promote more imaginative play and complement the teaching environment in their design proposals. External space for planting, weather recording, sundials etc., should all be explored.
• Consultation with PE Department for integration of orienteering controls into the landscaping to support teaching and learning in orienteering and other subject areas, such as a maths or science trail. Consideration should be given to an Irish Heart Foundation “Sli na Slainte” walkway during landscaping.

The layout and extent of these landscaped and external areas will be dependent on the specific site context and constraints for each specific school project.