Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

604. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe in which a decision will be made regarding an application for a school extension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11146/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The school referred by the Deputy has been approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects, specifically to provide one mainstream classroom and two Special Education Teaching (SET) rooms under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme 2021.

In 2022, the project scope was expanded to increase the project to two mainstream classrooms, two SET rooms, and a one classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) Base. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.

The project is currently at Stage 1 (preliminary Design) and the school submitted a Stage 1 report to the Department in August 2024. This report was reviewed from a technical and cost perspective as outlined in the public Infrastructure Guidelines. Following an initial review of the Stage 1 report my Department issued comments on 11 March 2025, which advised that a revised Stage 1 is required to be submitted which incorporates the recommendations and comments of the initial review.

We await this revised report before we can progress this very important project to the next stage.