Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the progress on a building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56360/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers is at Stage 2b Advanced Architectural Planning. The brief is a new 32 classroom school with 2 SEN classrooms, GP hall and all external ancillary accommodation and external works.

A tender report was received from the Design Team in 2023 and was reviewed by my Department, during the course of this review it was noted that the Planning Permission was due to expire in December 2023 and a new planning permission application would be required.

Given the passage of time since tenders were returned and the requirement for a new planning application, the Design Team were authorised in July 2024 to collapse the former tender procedure and proceed with the new planning application. This planning application will include decarbonisation measures in accordance with Technical Design Guidance. The Design Team have liaised with Fingal County Council accordingly.

The updated tender documents will include the updated Mechanical and Electrical requirements in accordance with decarbonisation measures, and compliance with any statutory requirements.

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 1,300 school building projects. In addition, over 200 SEN Repurposing projects have been delivered maximising the use of existing accommodation while creating opportunities for inclusion and integration.

Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.

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.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe for when the contract for the completion of a project (details supplied) in Dublin 1 will go out to tender. [56389/25]

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when she expects a school building project (details supplied) in Dublin 1 to be complete. [56390/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 and 238 together.

The large scale capital project for the school to which the Deputy refers is included in my Department's construction programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 Framework.

A number of issues arose on site from the outset, which is not unusual given the nature of a brownfield city centre site, but has led to delay. In response to these issues on site, my Department sanctioned the appointment of a Project Manager who engaged with the Design Team and Contractor to minimise delays and ensure clear lines of communication.

Good progress was initially made but the issues intensified. My Department had ongoing engagement with the Design Team and Contractor to resolve the issues.

A notice of termination was issued under the contract on 1 July 2025. As an interim measure, my Department is providing accommodation more suitable to the current needs of the school in nearby Cathal Brugha St. Some small scale refurbishment works will provide a good interim accommodation solution for the school and includes teaching and learning spaces for all of the classes, education support and sensory spaces, adequate meeting and office spaces, a staff room, a communal area and access to a safe outdoor space for the students. It is anticipated these works will complete in November 2025, following which the school will move into this premises.