Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

1052. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a progress update on a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47519/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The major building project referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for children with special educational needs.

The project currently has planning permission and is being brought to the level of employer-led design with a Design Team assigned to do so under the supervision of the Department’s project manager.

The process of appointing the Design Team from my Departments' Frameworks of Consultants was completed in September 2023 and following their due diligence review the project is currently close to completion of Stage 2(b) of the architectural design process. Stage 2(b) involves detailed design and the preparation of tender documentation.

In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.

In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.

My Department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication later in the Autumn. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.

The Department will continue to keep the school and its patron body updated on progress and next steps.