Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2025
768. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an SEN repurposing project for a school (details supplied) being delivered under the School Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58755/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to open a special class for the 2025/2026 school year. A Start-Up grant payment of €30,000 was issued to the school by the Department upon notification from NCSE that the classroom had been sanctioned.
The school also applied for the SEN Repurposing Small Scale Works scheme which provides additional funding of up to a maximum of €70,000 per classroom to assist in the opening of the SEN classroom. This application was reviewed by officials at the Department from a technical and cost perspective in line with Public Infrastructure Guidelines and was approved on 12 June 2025 for repurposing works to create 1 SEN Classroom. The first drawdown of the funding available (€56,000) was paid out to the school simultaneously with the approval notification. The delivery of the SEN classroom is devolved to the school authority.
The final drawdown documentation was submitted and remaining approved funds issued to the school in October 2025.
