Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67996/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide nine general classrooms, two SET rooms, three Science labs & two prep area and a four classroom SEN base. The project was devolved for delivery to Cavan & Monaghan ETB.

Following departmental approval, the project received planning permission with conditions in March 2024. One condition required the demolition of an existing school building, which led to appeals being lodged with An Bord Pleanála. In response, the department advised Cavan & Monaghan ETB and the design team to prepare a revised design and costings based on an alternative approach. This alternative retained the building through extensive refurbishment works and reduced the scope of the planned extension by excluding rooms now accommodated in the refurbished structure. As a result of this revised proposal, all appellants withdrew their appeals.

A developed design and updated cost report for this option was submitted to the department in Q1 2025. Additional information was requested and subsequently provided in Q2 2025. The report is now under review from both technical and cost perspectives, in line with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.

The Department with be in contact with Cavan & Monaghan ETB once this review has been completed.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67997/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Departments pipeline of school buildings projects to provide the following accommodation: eight General Classrooms, four Special Education Tuition rooms, one Music Room, one Textiles Room, one Art Room, one Multimedia Room, two Science Laboratories and Preparation Area, one Library and a General Purpose/Dining Hall. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.

A Stage 2b report was submitted to my Department in October 2025 and is currently undergoing a detailed review from a technical and cost perspective. Given the scale and complexity of this project the Stage 2b report will require a thorough and intensive review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Public Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.

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. 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 year. 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.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67998/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide twenty three general classrooms, five SET rooms, one Multimedia room, one DCG room, three Science labs and two prep areas, one Home Economics room, one Art room, one Construction Studies room, one Engineering Room, one Tech prep room, one Staff room, one GP/Dining room and a two classroom SEN base, along with refurbishment works to local Community Centres to deliver interim teaching space. The project is devolved to Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board for delivery.

I can confirm that this project received my departments approval to progress to Stage 2b (developed design) of the architectural planning design process in December 2023. In June 2025 the Stage 2b report, which is post planning was received by my department.

Given the scale and complexity of this project the Stage 2b report will require a thorough and intensive review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Public Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.

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. 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 year. 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.