Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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218. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the ongoing delay in funding approval for the refurbishment and establishment of ASD classes at a school (details supplied); if this funding will be expedited so that the school can proceed with the necessary preparations for September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24907/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school referred to by the Deputy had a large scale capital project delivered in 2024 by my Department. There are contractual arrangements associated with this project which need to be managed by the school. My Department will continue to engage with and advise the school authority in order to support it in opening special education classes in this context. These discussions are actively ongoing and the school has received its initial start-up grants for the special classes.

My Department is progressing urgent building projects that involve the repurposing of existing space in schools for special education purposes. These projects will ensure that existing school capacity is optimised and that teaching spaces are adaptable and flexible to facilitate a student-centred approach to learning. To support the delivery of these classes in good time for the 2025/26 school year a new streamlined approach to funding is available to repurpose accommodation for SEN. A SEN Start Up grant of €30,000 for each new SEN classroom sanctioned and opened for the 2025/26 school year will be payable to the school directly following receipt of NCSE notification of sanctioned classes. My department has commenced issuing the first tranche of these payments to schools. Additional funding for small scale repurposing works up to a maximum of €70,000 per class is also available to schools on an application basis. Further information on SEN repurposing supports can be accessed on www.gov.ie/en/.