Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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429. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when approval will be given for additional school accommodation to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37700/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question has submitted an application for capital funding, under my department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme, for an additional mainstream classroom, a special education tuition room and a special education classroom.

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.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that in 2022 the school was approved one mainstream classroom and this project is currently at stage 1. The school has ongoing communications with my department’s delivery section in relation to this project.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,375 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. A recent Government decision has approved €210m supplementary capital funding for my department which brings the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6bn.

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.

I can confirm that the school’s current application under the ASA scheme is under assessment and officials will contact the school directly when a decision has been made. I assure the Deputy that we will advance this matter as quickly as possible and that we are very conscious that where additional school accommodation is required, a significant lead-in time is necessary for a variety of reasons.