Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the building of a new school at a location (details supplied); when it will go to tender in view of the fact it was granted planning permission on 8 May 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50523/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The major building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered as part of my Department’s ADAPT Programme.

The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project Manager to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction.

The brief for this major project is to provide a New 16 Classroom School & 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs, at the existing site in Moycullen. The Board of Management have acquired additional land to accommodate a new build.

The project is at completion of Stage 2(b) of the architectural design process. Stage 2(b) involves detailed design, securing all statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documentation. Planning Permission was secured in May 2023.

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.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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55. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plan and the consideration that has been given to deliver a secondary school in Moycullen County Galway given its increase in population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50524/25]

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans being considered to deliver a secondary school at a location (details supplied) in view of the increase in population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50525/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 56 together.

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.

Moycullen is located in the Spiddal_Inverin school planning area. Based on analysis undertaken, it is deemed that there is not a sufficient unmet demand in the Spiddal_Inverin school planning area to establish a new post primary school entity.

The department will continue to liaise with Galway 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.