John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1083. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a school building project (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41759/25]

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

In Quarter 2 2023, the Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief in the context of a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for the project to cater for a 1,000 pupil school plus 6 special education needs classes.

A planning application was submitted to Wicklow County Council in Q4 2023 and the full grant of planning permission was received in Q2 2024.

The design team are presently progressing the detail design drawings in preparation for the Stage 2b submission to the Department. When the Stage 2b report has been received, reviewed, and approved, the next stage is tendering for a contractor and then onwards to construction in due course.

While at this early stage, it is not possible to provide a timeline for the completion of the project. KWETB will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of progress.

The Department is committed to ensuring appropriate secondary school accommodation is available for all children in the Blessington area and will in the wider context outlined, ensure that this project - as for all projects on our school building programme - is subject to the due diligence required under the Public Infrastructure Guidelines.

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.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1084. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a school building project (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41760/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design, where the Design Team secure all statutory applications and prepare the tender documents.

The Board of Management and their Design Team lodged the application for planning permission in September 2023, and received a request for further information (RFI) in October 2023 from the Local Authority (LA).

The Design Team issued their response to that RFI in February 2024, and the LA issued the initial grant of planning permission in March 2024.

However, there was a third party objection to planning permission, and the decision was referred to An Coimisiún Pleanála. The Design Team secured the grant of planning permission from An Coimisiún Pleanála in October 2024, and are currently working on completion of their report, for submission to my Department in Q3 of this year. Upon receipt and review, my Department will update the school and design team regarding the project progression.

Further details on the Department of Education and Youth’s capital programme will be published in Autumn 2025.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1085. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on an extension for a school (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41761/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a programme of school building projects.

The project received full grant of planning permission and is currently in Stage 3 of the architectural planning design process - Tender stage.

It is not possible at this time to give a date for completion of the project. However, the NDFA will continue to engage directly with the school authority in regard to progressing this important project.

The Department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available for the pupils in Coláiste Chraobh Abhann and will in the wider context outlined, ensure that this project - as for all projects on our school building programme - is subject to the due diligence required under the Public Infrastructure Guidelines.

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.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1086. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on an extension for a school (details supplied); when it is likely that the project will move to tender and construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41762/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Major Project for the school referred to by the Deputy consists of the demolition of the existing Senior school and the Construction of a new 12 Mainstream Classroom Primary school with 2 classrooms for children with Special Educational Needs on the Senior school's existing site. There are 6 Classrooms currently in the Junior school which are to be retained

The project is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.

All Statutory Approvals have been secured, and the Stage 2(b) Submission has been received and reviewed by my Department. As part of that review, comments have issued from the Department to the Design Team for their consideration and action.

The Design Team are required to confirm to the Department in writing that they have addressed the comments issued and are fully satisfied that their tender documents are in order, and meet all Department Guidance Documents, Building Regulation and procurement requirements.

Upon receipt of those confirmations, the next stage, subject to relevant Stage 2(b) approvals, will be Stage 3, tender stage.

As you are aware the Government has now concluded the review of the National Development Plan which sets out the capital allocations for each Government Department for the 2026 to 2030 period.? The NDP outcome involves an allocation of €7.55bn for the Department of Education & Youth for the 2026 to 2030 period. I intend to prioritise investment in special education and school places as part of €7.55 Billion in funding for 2026-2030.

Each Department is now tasked to develop implementation plans based on their NDP Allocations. Our target will be to have this done and published in the Autumn. This will involve the Department’s Planning & Building Unit undertaking a review and analysis to determine the optimum outputs to be achieved from the €7.55bn allocation with a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and in relation to project delivery ensuring a continued focus on affordability, value for money and functionality.

My Department will continue to keep the school updated on the progress and next steps.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1087. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project for a school (details supplied); to confirm at what stage the project is currently at; the estimated timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41763/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide new school accommodation for new 8 Classroom Primary School with accommodation including 2 classrooms for pupils with Special Educational Needs and all associated site works and will be delivered under my Departments ADAPT Programme.

ADAPT is an acronym for "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering".

The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning.

The project is currently at Stage 1 of architectural planning – Preliminary Design, including site assessment, location suitability and initial sketch scheme.

Upon receipt of the Stage 1 report from the Design Team on the 18th April 2025, a Stage 1 Stakeholders meeting was recently held on 28th May 2025, with representatives from the school authorities and patron body, all Design Team members, the Project Manager and Department officials in attendance.

Following the meeting the Design Team have been requested to address the Departments comments and submit an Addendum Stage 1 Report to my Department for review.

The Government has now concluded the review of the National Development Plan which sets out the capital allocations for each Government Department for the 2026 to 2030 period. The NDP outcome involves an allocation of €7.55bn for the Department of Education & Youth for the 2026 to 2030 period.

I intend to prioritise investment in special education and school places as part of €7.55 Billion in funding for 2026-2030.

Each Department is now tasked to develop implementation plans based on their NDP Allocations. Our target will be to have this done and published in the Autumn. This will involve the Department's Planning and Building Unit undertaking a review and analysis to determine the optimum outputs to be achieved from the €7.55bn allocation with a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and in relation to project delivery ensuring a continued focus on affordability, value for money and functionality.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1088. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has carried out any further evaluations in relation to constructing a new secondary school in a location (details supplied) considering the growth in population and pressures on school places in the local area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41764/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the department divides the country into 314 school planning areas (SPA) and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, the department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise.

The department also conducts granular analysis below the level of a school planning area, particularly where a school planning area encompasses both high growth urban settlement areas and a more rural hinterland. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.

While my department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €209 million in school infrastructure across County Wicklow. My department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place.

The department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

• Provision of a new school or schools.

If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to Gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (Aonad) in an English-medium school.

New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.

For school planning purposes Newtownmountkennedy is located in the Kilcoole SPA. There are currently no plans to establish a post primary school in Newtownmountkennedy. There is one post-primary school in the school planning area, Colaiste Chraobh Abhainn. There is currently a large-scale major project ongoing at Stage 3 to provide additional accommodation to increase capacity to over 1,000 pupils plus 4 class SEN unit. Stage 3 is the instruction for the project to proceed to tender. In addition, in 2020 a new post-primary school (Greystones Community College) was established to serve both the Kilcoole & Greystones SPAs, including Newtownmountkennedy, as a regional solution. Permanent school accommodation, with capacity for over 1,000 pupils, is currently under construction.

As part of planning for September 2025, the department will be engaging with an increased number of post-primary schools across areas of potential enrolment pressure, including areas in counties Kildare, Wicklow, Dublin, Galway, and Cork. This engagement will include the request for admissions data to help identify duplicate applications and determine the need for additional places, if any, in the area. It is expected that, as in previous years, the data sharing will provide confidence that there is sufficient school place availability in the majority of areas. However, if a shortfall of places is identified in an area, the department will work with schools to put the necessary solutions in place.

The department will continue to liaise with Wicklow County Council in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1089. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the building project for a school (details supplied); to confirm at what stage the project is at; when it is likely that the project will move forward to design and construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41765/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school building project referred to by the Deputy is included in the Department of Education and Youths’ Construction Programme.

The brief for the project is the delivery of a new 1,000 pupil post primary school and accommodation including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs.

It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The ADAPT 4 Programme will be led by Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.

AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of the IPT’s. It is anticipated that the procurement process to appoint IPT's for the tranche of projects including the project referred to by the Deputy would commence during 2026.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the school and patron body informed of the progression of this project through the stages of architectural planning.

Further details on the Department of Education and Youth’s capital programme will be published in Autumn 2025.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1090. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the building project for a school (details supplied); to confirm at what stage the project is at; when it is likely that the project will move forward to design and construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41766/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school building project referred to by the Deputy is included in the Department of Education and Youths’ Construction Programme.

The brief for the project is the delivery of an extension/ refurbishment to cater for a 600 pupil post primary school and accommodation including 3 classrooms for children with special educational needs.

It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

The ADAPT 4 Programme will be led by Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.

AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of the IPT’s. It is anticipated that the procurement process to appoint IPT's for the tranche of projects including the project referred to by the Deputy would commence during 2026.

It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.

My Department will keep the school and patron body informed of the progression of this project through the stages of architectural planning.

Further details on the Department of Education and Youth’s capital programme will be published in Autumn 2025.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1091. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current stage of plans for the building of a new primary school in a location (details supplied) considering the influx of new homes and population growth in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41767/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

• Provision of a new school or schools.

If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (aonad) in an English-medium school.

New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.

The planned establishment of a new primary school in 2021 to serve the Bray/Woodbrook Shanganagh area was announced in 2018 as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. Further analysis was conducted on the pace of delivery of the expected additional residential development in that area and the planned establishment of that school was subsequently deferred.

The site for a new primary school entity has been identified and the acquisition of same is in the final stages of conveyancing.

My department is in regular discussion with the LDA regarding the pace of delivery of additional residential development in that area. The data will be kept under review and will inform the timing of school requirements.

The department will continue to liaise with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in respect of their county development plan and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1092. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the construction of a new school building for a school (details supplied); and when it is likely that the building project will be completed. [41768/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school building project referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new permanent 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs in Greystones. The project is being delivered under my Department’s Design & Build programme.

The project is currently in construction, with an expected completion timeline of Q4 2025.

My Department will continue to keep the school and it’s patron body updated as the project progresses.