Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update in relation to a school construction project (details supplied); when this school will proceed to tender and construction; which project this school is part of; the other schools which are in this bundle; the stages the other schools are currently at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63548/25]

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

The brief for the project is to provide an extension and refurbishment to the existing school building to accommodate a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils and also provide a 4 classroom Special Education Needs base for the school.

The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural design process (pre-tender stage). A full grant of planning permission was received in March 2024. The NDFA are currently working to conclude the pre-tender stage following which a Stage 2b report will be submitted to the Department.

Once the Stage 2b report has been submitted, the project will be subject to the necessary review and due diligence in accordance with the Public Infrastructure Guidelines.

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

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. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.

All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans in November. My department’s 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. This will be the context for assessing all project rollout for the 2026 to 2030 period including in relation to St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge.

Regarding the details of the other projects in the Dargle bundle as requested by the Deputy, I can confirm that Project Dargle comprises of seven post-primary schools as listed below. All are similarly at Stage 2b of the architectural design process (pre-tender).

• St Joseph's Secondary School, Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath
• Moate Community School, Co.Westmeath
• Castlepollard Community College, Co.Westmeath
• Avondale Community College, Co.Wicklow
• Arklow CBS, Co.Wicklow
• Colaiste Bhride, Carnew, Co.Wicklow
• St Kevins Community College, Dunlavin,Co.Wicklow