Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the construction of a school (details supplied). [16856/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a 750 pupil post primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs.

It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The ADAPT 4 Programme will be led by Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects. AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of the IPT’s. It is anticipated that the IPT's for the tranche of projects including the project referred to by the Deputy will be appointed later this year.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the schools and patron body informed of the progression of this project.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide for a new school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16412/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.8 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,300 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 €1.5 billion.

All applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of capacity requirements and climate action commitments. My Department is required to manage the allocated capital funding across all schools in the country. The Department’s approach is to maximise the usage of existing capacity in schools and, in tandem with this, to manage the progression of the existing pipeline of projects within available budgets and in line with the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines.

The Department can identify opportunities to transform existing schools as part of energy retrofit projects, and the Department’s Pathfinder programme has been developing effective solutions in this regard, as we plan for a future wider rollout. The plan for working this through at national scale will be informed by the outcome of an Energy and Condition survey of all schools which is currently underway. This overall process is particularly valuable in facilitating a proportionate assessment of a school’s accommodation upgrade needs relative to all other schools and allow an effective prioritisation of capital investment.

This allows the Department to keep a strong focus on the provision of additional capacity to cater for demographics, new housing developments and the rollout of additional special classes for children with additional needs. This approach reflects the Department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.

My Department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings. It is a priority for Government to deliver on Ireland’s ambitious climate agenda and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes targets around the decarbonisation of Ireland’s public buildings. As part of it’s planning for 2025 and beyond, Department officials are considering and planning for the next phases of the summer works programme and the opportunities this may create to support the sustainability agenda. In this regard, it is envisaged at this stage that, a Multi-Annual SWS with a focus on climate action and energy conservation will be the focus for the next summer works scheme to be opened for applications.

My Department are in discussions with the school referred to by the Deputy and capital funding will take account of the contextual factors outlined.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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144. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the three secondary schools in west Wicklow (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17128/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The projects in County Wicklow to which the Deputy refers have been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) and the NDFA respectively.

Regarding Blessington Community College, I can confirm that in Quarter 2 2023, my Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief to reflect a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for the project to cater for a 1,000-pupil school plus 6 special education classrooms. The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural process which is the detailed design stage. Full grant of planning permission has been received for the school and the design team is currently working to conclude the pre-tender stage in conjunction with the Department. When Stage 2b has been finalised and approved the project will then move onward to tender and construction in due course. While at this early stage, it is not possible to provide a timeline for the completion of the Blessington Community College project, KWETB will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them informed of all progress.

In relation to the Scoil Chonglais project which has also been devolved for delivery to KWETB, the school was approved under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme to provide 3 General classrooms, 1 Textiles room, 1 Music room, 1 DCG/Tech room, 1 Home Economics room, 2 Science laboratories with 1 Prep area and a 2 special education classroom bases. In March 2023, a Stage 1 report was received by the Department and evaluated from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Department’s infrastructure guidelines. Following this review a request for further information and subsequently a stage 1 addendum report was required to be submitted to the department. This addendum report was submitted in Q4 2024. The addendum report was reviewed by officials in the Department and the project was granted approval to Stage 2b the planning stage in February 2025. The Department now await the submission of the Stage 2b report.

Finally, in relation to St Kevin’s Community College Dunlavin, this project has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The project is currently at Stage 2b, with a full grant of planning permission received for the school. The NDFA’s design team is working to conclude the pre-tender stage in conjunction with the Department. When Stage 2b has been finalised and approved, the next stage is tendering for a contractor and then onwards to construction in due course. It is not possible to provide a timeline for the completion of the project however the NDFA will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them informed of all progress.

I can confirm that my Department is committed to ensuring appropriate secondary school accommodation is available for all children in the County Wicklow area and will in the wider context outlined, ensure that these projects - as for all projects on our school building programme - are subject to the due diligence required under the public Infrastructure Guidelines. The current status of all projects is listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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145. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the progress of the new capital build project of a school (details supplied). [17154/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver an extension to the existing school to expand it to become a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for children with special educational needs, which will be delivered as part of a shared educational campus.

It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The ADAPT 4 Programme will be led by Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects. AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of the IPT’s. It is anticipated that the IPT's for the tranche of projects including the project referred to by the Deputy will be appointed shortly.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the school and patron body informed of the progression of this project.