Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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58. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of repurposing works at the new special school site (details supplied) in County Cork; to provide an estimated timeline for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58317/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school referred to by the Deputy is one of the five new special schools that have opened for the 2025/26 school year. This school serves the North City area of Cork City. The school has opened in interim spare accommodation in the Department owned school building, Gaelscoil de hÍde, Fermoy.

The permanent location for the school will be in Carrignavar using the vacant former primary school building. This building is being repurposed to make it suitable for children with special education needs. The project is being delivered under the Department's Devolved Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. The target timeline for completion of these works is during the first quarter of the 2026 calendar year.