Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on proposals to provide new accommodation for a school in County Offaly (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34804/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The project to which the Deputy refers, has been devolved for delivery to Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB).

The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning design process. This stage of the process allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. The Design Team are currently working on the Stage 2b report for submission to the Department. As soon as this report is received, reviewed, and approved, the project will progress to tender stage and onwards to construction in due course.

At this stage, it is not possible to provide an accurate timeline for completion of the project. LOETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.

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.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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90. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current status of the project to deliver two modular units for St. John’s Special School in Dungarvan; to confirm precisely when her Department’s modular accommodation unit was tasked with progressing the project; if she will commit to ensuring the units are in place by September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34844/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the deputy refers will be provided with two special needs classrooms under my Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.

This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. Kerrigan Sheanon Newman Project Management (KSN) has been appointed, from the Department’s Framework, to design and tender the project and oversee all elements of construction.

The contractor is expected to commence mobilising on site on Tuesday 24 June.

The modular units are manufactured. The Department is engaging with the school and patron on the practical arrangements in relation to the provision of the modular units, including fit-out and it is expected that this will be finalised shortly.

The Project Managers and the modular supplier are working very proactively to have the modular unit in place as early as possible in Q4 2025. This will mean that some interim/transition arrangements will be required from 1 September until the modular unit is ready for occupation. The precise length of time for these interim/transition arrangements will become clearer over the summer period as the on-site works progress and the modular unit is set up on site, linked to services, commissioned and certified.