Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the present status of an application for new facilities at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21998/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was granted funding under my department's 2021 Additional Schools (ASA) Scheme to provide one home economics room, one engineering room and preparation area, and one construction preparation/store area.

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 by available accommodation at other schools in the area. A request for a PE Hall does not fall within the remit of the ASA scheme.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,350 school building projects.? Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in the coming months, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 610,000 square metres of new and modernised capacity to our school estate.

In County Cavan, alone from 2020 to date, the Department has invested €77.3 million in school infrastructure and completed 27 school building projects.

A future strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build and modernisation programme which will enable students in post-primary schools to have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision, particularly also in the context of the roll-out of PE as a leaving-certificate subject. Enhanced and modernised PE facilities will also provide important amenities for local communities.

However, the main focus of my department’s capital funding over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and children with special education needs.

My 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 my department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child. The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and replacement of existing school infrastructure will be kept under review as capital funding allocations for future years are clarified.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will approve an application to facilitate further essential developments at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21999/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that my department is in receipt of a request for grant aid for a proposed land acquisition under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme from the school in question.

I am pleased to confirm that approval was given under the Department's Modular Framework for two special education classrooms and six mainstream classrooms and this project was delivered in 2023. My department also recently provided funding for the refurbishment of an engineering room at the school in question.

The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,350 school building projects.? Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in the coming months, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 610,000 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 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.

In County Cavan, alone from 2020 to date, the Department has invested €77.3 million in school infrastructure and completed 27 school building projects.

This significant investment is intended to allow us to move forward with certainty on modernising our school infrastructure with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a deep-energy retrofit programme in support of our 2030 and 2050 Climate Action Goals.

In order to plan for school place needs, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my department's projections of school place requirements.

The school referred to is located in the Belturbet school planning area. My department's projections of post primary school places requirements in the Belturbet SPA indicate that enrolments at post primary level peaked in 2023.

As such I can confirm that the Department has no current plans for land acquisition for the school in question and Cavan-Monaghan ETB has been advised of the position.