Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 October 2025
190. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that the size of the available land on a site for the new three school campus in a location (details supplied) is likely to be reduced in size in order to facilitate required roads infrastructure; and if adjacent lands, identified by the school, can be purchased in order to provide adequate school space, including playing fields. [54379/25]
View answerThe development of the shared education campus at the site referred to by the deputy consists of an 8-classroom primary school with accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, as well as a new school building to cater for two post-primary schools to accommodate approximately 800 pupils, also with accommodation for students with special educational needs.
Significant PE facilities for the schools concerned are being constructed as part of this campus development. At post-primary level, these include:
• PE Hall, which includes Fitness Suite, Changing Suites, Showers and Equipment Stores, a total of 1,048m²
• 5 Hard Play Courts with a total area of 3,060m²
• 4 Secure Soft Play Areas, 200m² in total
In addition to this, the schedule of accommodation for the primary school includes the following physical education facilities:
• General Purpose Hall of 195m² plus associated areas
• Ballcourts with a total area of 585m²
• Junior Play Area of 200m ²
• 2 Secure Soft Play Areas, which are 100m ²in total
• Sensory Garden, which is another 100m ²
These facilities are consistent with that outlined in the Department's design guidelines for new schools.
Furthermore, as per any new school building, where the site area and building configuration permits, an area should be reserved suitable for use as a practice playing field. The Department notes that there are various community, recreation and sports facilities in relative proximity to the campus site and generally shared use of such facilities by schools and community groups is encouraged by this Department. Our technical guidance for post primary schools makes provision for a pitch only where it can be accommodated on the site. We do not acquire land specifically for the provision of pitches.
The Department’s priority at present is the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs. The Department considers that it may be the case that the patron of the 2 post-primary schools may wish to engage with the local county council over their plans for this land beside the campus and that it could be developed by the council and is an opportunity for the council to develop sporting facilities for use by the community.
The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural process which allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents.? When this stage has been finalised and approved, the next stage is tendering for a contractor and then onwards to construction in due course.
