Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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55. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made on the delivery of a new school building for a school (details supplied); when a Stage 2a presentation will be made to her Department; if she is aware of any capital budget constraints that is slowing down the delivery of this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2576/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to Limerick Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB).

The project is currently at Stage 2a (detailed design) of the architectural process. When finalised, the Stage 2a report will be submitted to the Department for review and comment. It is not possible to provide a timeline for the completion of the project at this early stage. Limerick Clare Education and Training Board will be engaging directly with the school authority and the Department to keep them informed of all progress.

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, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.

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 2025, 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.

The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published shortly. The first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published at this time. This NDP Implementation 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. All existing school building projects and applications for accommodation will be considered in this context, with a particular focus on ensuring existing capacity is maximised.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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58. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a school build plan will move from Stage 2a to Stage 2b (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2580/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings to provide three mainstream classrooms, one Special Education Tuition room, and a two classroom Special Educational Needs base.

The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.

The project is currently at Stage 2A (detailed design) of the architectural design process. The school authority has advised that planning permission has been secured however Departmental approval to progress to Stage 2B (Planning) of the architectural design process has not yet been granted. A Stage 2A report has been received and is under review from both a technical and cost perspective, in line with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.

In July 2025, 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 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. All projects, including this one, are subject to the due diligence set out in the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines and in line with the NDP.

My Department will continue to engage with the school authority to offer practical advice and support, as required.