Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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404. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the proposed development works at a school (details supplied); the status of the application for additional classrooms and facilities for children with additional needs; if the lack of a school hall is being considered as part of any future building or extension plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32059/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of my Department's Additional School Accommodation (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.

The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings to provide 4 Mainstream classrooms, 2 classroom SEN base and ancillary.

I can confirm that this project recently received my departments approval to go to Stage 2a (detailed design) of the architectural planning design process. This stage must include the development of the design along with an accurate cost plan which best meets the design as per the Stage 1 comments and recommendations from my department.

The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision. The immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a school place.

Investment and expenditure on GP rooms and PE Halls is an element of the overall expenditure and investment in the School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms/PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school.

As part of the NDP Review process, all departments, including my department, are currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with respect to NDP allocations for the period 2026-2030. It is expected that there will be clarity on these allocations over the course of the summer period, and this will allow my department to plan its capital investment programme for the 2026 to 2030 period in line with prioritised needs and reflecting, as appropriate, wider Government priorities. Maximising existing capacity in schools to meet needs is very important. The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from Autumn onwards after the NDP allocations are finalised.