Wednesday, 18 Feb 2026

Written Answers Nos. 53-76

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Gender Balance

Questions (53)

Barry Heneghan

Question:

53. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to outline the current level of compliance by State boards with the Government’s long-standing target of achieving a minimum of 40% representation of women on all State boards; the measures the Minister has taken to improve gender balance where boards have not met this target; the steps in place under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and its 2020 Annex on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion to ensure that all State boards progress towards full compliance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13320/26]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation

As the Deputy may be aware, significant changes were made between 2011 and 2014 to the system for State Board appointments with a view to promoting wider access to opportunities on State Boards and greater transparency in appointments.

In September 2020, the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (The Code) was updated to take account of the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Group on Gender Balance on State Boards. The subsequent Annex to The Code : Gender Balance, Diversity, and Inclusion was published in September 2020. The Annex urges State bodies to lead the way in seeking to achieve gender balanced and diverse boards. The key amendments included in the Annex are:

• Subject to compliance with the relevant body's establishing legislation, board terms should be between 3 - 5 years, which may be renewed once to a maximum of 8 years.

• The annual report of the body should include details of gender balance; where the board stands vis-à-vis the 40% gender balance requirement; the key elements of the board's approach to promoting gender balance and diversity and the measures being taken to address the situation where a board is either all male or all female.

• The current gender composition of the board should be highlighted when making submissions to the Minister on board appointments and re-appointments.

• Each board should carry out an annual self-assessment evaluation which would include a detailed analysis and critical assessment of the gender, diversity and skills mix within the board.

• The annual report of the board should give an account of the approach being adopted in regard to the promotion of diversity and inclusion, including with regard to gender, in the specific context of the organisation; and on the progress and achievements in this regard.

My Department collated data from the Stateboards.ie website of the membership of State Boards serving in December 2024 where the board composition is greater than 3 and where the Minister makes the board appointments. When these parameters are taken into account, the data set consists of 187 boards totalling 2,044 board members. The analysis indicates that the gender participation rates are 49.5% female and 50.4% male, with 57.7% of Boards now meeting the 40% gender targets, of which, 45 are boards where female membership is greater than or equal to 60%.

The 2025 Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future restates the Government commitment to increasing gender balance on State Boards.

Departmental Data

Questions (54)

Réada Cronin

Question:

54. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on critical infrastructure investment in north Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13343/26]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation

As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level.

The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Furthermore, while the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of the National Planning Framework (NPF) which sets out the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years, along with the National Development Plan, expenditure is allocated by sector. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under their remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery.

Departments have published sectoral investment plans setting out the capital projects to be prioritised from 2026 to 2030. These plans provide visibility of the delivery pipeline, giving construction firms the certainty they need to invest in hiring, training, and scaling their operations. This multi-year approach is designed to support industry planning and ensure that regional capacity can grow in line with demand. These sectoral plans are available on each Departmental webpage on the gov.ie website and will provide the Deputy with further detail on a sectoral basis and with relevance to Kildare.

For critical infrastructure projects, Kildare will benefit from national level investments in energy including local authority climate action investments and the national retrofit plan, and upgrades to the Maynooth 220KV station. Wider investments in Kildare also include the EU Just Transition Fund which is actively transforming County Kildare, focusing on regenerative tourism, green skills, and community development following the end of peat harvesting. The Local Just Transition Plan for West Kildare also focuses on sustainable development, leveraging the broader €169 million Midlands investment to create new employment opportunities.

Key projects include public transport in the constituency such as Dart+ West and South West. Further social projects will be advanced with €5.5 million for 17 tourism projects across County Kildare including investment in Donadea Forest Park. Healthcare projects will be advanced including an upgraded 50 bed Mental Health Lakeview ward in Naas General Hospital. In addition, there will be a series of upgrade works to enhance the resilience of the Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant which will benefit the large catchment of almost 1 million person equivalents, including in Kildare North. This will facilitate the potential for further housing development and other commercial opportunities in the catchment area.

In developing these sectoral plans, departments were required to demonstrate how their proposed investments align with the objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF). This ensures that increased capital spending supports balanced regional development.

The Programme for Government set out the clear prioritisation for the NDP Review to ensure that investment can be maximised in the coming five years for strategic infrastructure. This includes the key energy, water and transport networks on which all future development relies. This is critical to allow Government to meet the additional 300,000 homes target and to support competitiveness.

These sectors, electricity, water and transport, were further defined as critical infrastructure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Actions Report published last December. The Plan sets out 30 targeted actions grouped under four pillars, each addressing a key area of reform.

Health and Safety

Questions (55)

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

55. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the reason the Health and Safety Authority does not provide a clear breakdown, by gender, of workplace fatalities and injuries in the reports it publishes periodically; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13152/26]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment

The principal functions of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) are to monitor and enforce compliance with occupational health and safety law, to provide information and expert advice to employers, employees and the self-employed, to promote workplace safety, health, welfare, education and training, to publish research on workplace hazards and risks and to propose new regulations and Codes of Practice to the Minister.

The HSA publishes multi-annual data on fatal and non-fatal workplace injuries on its website, HSA.ie. These datasets include information on the gender, age, and employment status of those injured or killed, broken down by economic sector.

In addition, the HSA releases its Annual Review of Workplace Injury, Illness and Fatality Statistics each year. This report provides a detailed breakdown of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities across several categories, including gender.

The evidence presented in this report highlights the continued dangers facing workers each day. The average fatality rate in 2025 was 2.1 per 100,000 workers, which is an increase from 1.3 per 100,000 in 2024. However, despite the increase recorded in 2025, the average number of work-related fatalities in Ireland continues to trend downwards, with 2.3 deaths per 100,000 workers recorded in 2016.

The Health and Safety Authority continues to collaborate with stakeholders across Ireland to assist businesses across all sectors of the economy to comply with workplace health and safety obligations, to establish better long-term occupational health practices, to ensure maximum impact from regulatory activities, especially in high-risk sectors, and to amplify prevention and guidance activities.

In the coming year, the HSA will deliver a comprehensive programme of risk-based, evidence-led workplace health and safety inspections across all sectors of the economy. Those sectors that pose the highest health and safety risks will be targeted with a range of enforcement, compliance and awareness-raising interventions, as well as targeted public communications campaigns.

Departmental Funding

Questions (56)

Sean Fleming

Question:

56. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the funding allocated to NGOs by his Department in 2025; the funding allocated to NGOs by agencies and bodies under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13084/26]

Written answers

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment

With respect to funding allocated to NGOS by my Department and its offices, In 2025 €114,726.63 was allocated to the Irish Red Cross.

With respect to funding of NGOs by agencies, this is an operational matter for those agencies. I have asked the agencies to reply directly to the deputy.

Small and Medium Enterprises

Questions (57)

Emer Currie

Question:

57. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to set out his Department’s work on the programme for Government commitment to “support Irish SMEs to access the supply chains of large multinational companies that are based in Ireland”. [13297/26]

Written answers

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment

My Department works closely with the enterprise development agencies IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland (EI) to support the scaling of SMEs and to help them access the supply chains of Ireland’s FDI base.

In line with the commitment under the Programme for Government to support Irish companies in accessing the supply chains of large MNCs (Multi-National Corporations), a number of initiatives are being advanced which are aimed at strengthening these linkages. The agencies are continuously collaborating to grow supply chain linkages, to provide EI client companies with greater market access, opening sales channels with FDI companies in Ireland, thereby increasing sales of Irish goods and services and to IDA clients. This collaboration has delivered three joint agency networking events (Waterford, Athlone, Limerick) to explore opportunities in sustainability for the manufacturing, technology, and life science sectors. Additional events are scheduled for this year, with a joint IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland IOT/ Manufacturing seminar at the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre (Mullingar) in March 2026.

Introductions provide a targeted way to identify high-impact projects that create opportunities for EI clients to engage with new IDA investments. For instance, IDA recently facilitated introductions between a major overseas MedTech company and sixteen pre-qualified EI client firms, enabling these companies to pitch their services directly to the client’s senior management team.

Additionally, corporate in-house venture capital (CVC) funds offer a valuable financing pathway for scaling Irish start-ups as they look to strategically invest in innovative products, services, and business models, including those supporting digitalisation and the green transition. Recognising this opportunity, IDA has facilitated introductions for EI to several US-based corporate CVC teams. EI is now leveraging these connections by linking suitable client companies with these investment teams where appropriate.

IDA also collaborates with EI client companies to support the delivery of digitalisation services, particularly in developing the technical specifications needed to implement sustainable digital solutions across both services and manufacturing companies. In addition, EI clients are also engaged in the delivery of Digital Lean programmes to clients.

EI and IDA established the Lean Business Ireland website to support clients on their Lean journeys. This has been a successful joint venture supporting both SME and multinational companies. The next Lean Business Conference Enterprise Excellence Conference is taking place on the 9th and 10th of June 2026 in Sligo.

MNCs favour resilient suppliers capable of sustaining delivery through global market volatility. As such, there are a number of mechanisms in place which give Irish SMEs the visibility required to enter multinational sourcing pipelines. This includes international exposure through EI-led trade missions, including the largest-ever trade mission in February 2026 involving over 85 Irish companies engaging with European and multinational buyers.

EI also offers a number of grants which focus on strengthening SME resilience, therefore making them stronger supply chain partners, including the Market Research Grant and the New Markets Validation Grant.

By combining capability supports with international exposure and structured engagement with MNCs, EI are building a stronger indigenous base capable of meeting global procurement standards and contributing to Ireland’s long-term competitiveness.

Additionally, the Government’s Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity highlights that IDA and EI have a longstanding track record of working closely together to create an ecosystem that fosters the development of both FDI and Irish enterprises. The measures in the plan are designed to further support growth drivers including research, innovation, skills and the green economy.

My Department will continue to ensure that Irish SMEs are provided with the support required to enhance their supply and innovation links, enabling them to increase their economic impact, strengthen their supply chain resilience and deepen their multinational engagement.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (58)

Denise Mitchell

Question:

58. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) was not included in the list of school building projects as announced under the national development plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12935/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme to provide four mainstream classrooms, a two classroom special educational needs (SEN) base and ancillary. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery.

This project was approved by to progress to Stage 2a (detailed design) by my Department in March 2025. My Department currently awaits submission of the stage 2a report by the school authority. On submission of this report, the Department will carry out a detailed review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (59, 60)

Michael Cahill

Question:

59. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the massive cuts to SNA provision in schools across County Kerry (details supplied) can be reversed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12943/26]

Michael Cahill

Question:

60. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to immediately reverse the savage cuts to SNAs across County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12944/26]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth

I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision and care support for children and young people with special educational needs in our schools, including the allocation of special needs assistant (SNA) support to schools.

SNAs are very important in supporting students with additional and significant care needs take part in school life. Because of this, the department has been increasing SNA numbers for many years. There are now over 23,000 SNAs working in schools. By the end of the 2026/27 school year, this number will be close to 25,000 across mainstream classes, special classes, and special schools.

Since 2020/21, the number of SNAs in schools has grown by 45%. Every county has seen an increase in SNA support over this period. SNAs work as part of a whole-school team to support students with special educational needs. This team also includes nearly 22,000 special education teachers nationwide.

The number of SNAs a school needs can change for different reasons, such as changes in student numbers, changes in individual care needs, or students moving from primary to post-primary school. When the NCSE reviews SNA allocations, it looks closely at the care needs of students in each school. This helps make sure that SNA support goes where it is most needed. The role of the SNA is set out in DEY Circular 30/2014 and the NCSE process for SNA reviews is consistent with its provisions.

Every SNA review undertaken by the NCSE is a detailed and specific review of the care needs profile in that individual school. Where the NCSE identify during the review that the care needs have increased in an individual schools the necessary SNA resources to support those needs schools are provided.

Minister Naughton and I have listened carefully to all of the issues raised by parents and school communities in recent days. In light of concerns raised, we have paused the review of the SNA allocations.

Minister Naughton and I, as well as the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach, are engaging intensively to ensure that all of the concerns raised are really understood and children with special educational needs are fully supported.

No further letters on SNA review outcomes will issue until these engagements have concluded in the coming weeks.

The department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.

Question No. 60 answered with Question No. 59.

School Funding

Questions (61)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Question:

61. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for capital works submitted by a school (details supplied); if it will be progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12966/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for Fabric Defects works.

The application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS and the Department is aware of other schools in Donegal with similar EWS applications. Once a technical recommendation has been received back from the technical team, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (62)

James O'Connor

Question:

62. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth to address correspondence from a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12969/26]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth

A sensory room in a school can enhance and promote the health and wellbeing of the whole school with a focus on both the culture and the environment. It is a designated area within a school which can support a student’s sensory preferences and needs and can provide students with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate, so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others.

Funding of €7,000 is made available by my Department's Loose Furniture & Equipment (F&E) Section for the provision of the start-up of a sensory room within a school. To be eligible for the grant, the school must demonstrate it has an NCSE approved ASD class and that there is a suitable room to house the sensory room (i.e. drawings of the school layout with the sensory room and ASD class clearly marked). The sensory room must be a separate room from that of the ASD class and must have its own separate entry/exit. Only one sensory room grant is funded by my Department per school. It is intended that this funding can also be used for the purchase of sensory equipment.

A sensory room is primarily intended for use by students within the school and is not confined to students within a specific classroom.

Such classrooms for pupils with special education needs are included as standard in the accommodation brief for new school buildings and major extension projects. The overall accommodation suite for students with special education needs also generally includes ancillary accommodation such as a Central Activities Space, a Multi Activity Room and Quiet Spaces as well as an outdoor Secure Play Area and Sensory Garden.

In order to make accommodation provision to meet the needs of students with special education requirements, the Department has close engagement with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. When the NCSE sanction a special class in a school, the school can apply to the Department for capital funding to re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class or to construct additional accommodation. Similarly, where special schools wish to expand provision, the school can apply to the Department for capital funding to accommodate additional placements.

In addition to a sensory room, a school may have a calming space, the design of which is different to a sensory room. The calming space should be located within or directly off the classroom base and is intended as a safe quiet area that a pupil, under the supervision of a staff member, can access for a short period of time if they need some quiet time to themselves. The design of the space must allow staff to observe pupils unobtrusively from the classroom.

The calming space is designed to ensure that a student may choose to access to take a break or to help with regulation. Calming activities are made available to the student depending on their individual needs preferences, and may include items such as stress balls, books, soft toys, and/or noise cancelling headphones.

The calming space is to be designed as a quiet zone or alcove within the classroom without enclosing walls and not as a separate room, these spaces may involve an area of the classroom set up with cushions or a tent to limit sensory stimuli or a space with calming activities and materials and which is visible to either a teacher or a special needs assistant. This area can have different softer finishes to the Classroom that will allow pupils to relax and sit/lie on the floor. A ‘dark’ room, using dark blues, can be created as an alcove off the Classroom to provide a different environment or to provide a different sensory experience. This is a matter for discussion and decision between the school authority and the Design Team. It is my Department's policy not to provide a door to the opening into the calming space, this allows for active supervision of the calming space from the SEN classroom.

The NCSE have updated advice on sensory rooms in schools this year. The booklet titled 'Sensory Spaces in Schools', the content of the booklet is based on research evidence and the therapists’ professional experiences of working in schools. This booklet has been created to provide information on sensory processing and advice on the use of sensory spaces that should be used for general purposes. The booklet can be accessed on the NCSE website: www.ncse.ie

Schools Building Projects

Questions (63)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

63. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) has not been included on the recently published school building list, despite the school having worked with her Department for six years on a new build project, and having progressed to planning permission; the current status and expected timeline for the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12970/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Departments pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide eight general classrooms (one prefab replacement), one science laboratory with prep area, one design and communication graphics room, one music room, one special education tuition (SET) room, one textiles room, one construction room with prep area (prefab replacement), one GP Dining (prefab replacement) and a two classroom special education needs (SEN) base.

The project was devolved for delivery to Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB).

This project was approved by to progress to Stage 2a (detailed design) by my Department in January 2024. My Department currently awaits the submission of the stage 2a report by LWETB. Once received the stage 2a report will be reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program. Due to the detailed nature of the evaluation process, the need to ensure full cost compliance, and the requirement to align the project with the prioritisation framework under the National Development Plan, it is not possible to provide a definitive timeline at this early stage

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

School Admissions

Questions (64)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

64. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide guidance to the parents of a child (details supplied) who cannot secure a junior infant school place in their locality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12976/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some students not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

In accordance with the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, schools are required to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. It is an important feature of the act that schools can only make a decision on an application for admission that is based on the school’s admission policy.

Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal a decision of this school to refuse admission. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed.

Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is the agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. TESS can be contacted at 01-7718500 ([e-mail]) for assistance. More information is available on their website on the following link: www.tusla.ie/tess/tess-ews/

Departmental Data

Questions (65)

Pat Buckley

Question:

65. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a list of all primary schools in east Cork. [12980/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The requested data are set out at the following link:

East Cork Primary Schools

Schools Building Projects

Questions (66)

John Brady

Question:

66. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12982/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).

It is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural design process. This stage allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. A full grant of planning permission has been received for the school.

KWETB have recently submitted the Stage 2b report to the Department and this is currently under review by the Departments Professional and Technical team. When this review is complete the department will revert directly to KWETB regarding the next steps. While at this early stage, it is not possible to provide a timeline for the completion of the project. KWETB will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of progress.

The department have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes.

The department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of these projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard the Minister has also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027. This list includes the project at Blessington CC and 2 other projects in County Wicklow.

These projects are in addition to the €254.93 million in capital funding for County Wicklow schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period a total of 42 schools in the county have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large- scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 8 school projects in Wicklow under construction.

The 105 prioritised projects will progress to tender and/or construction on a rolling basis over the course of 2026 and 2027 and within the context of NDP funding parameters. The timing of project progression will reflect the need to carefully manage the rollout of these projects to construction on a controlled basis to ensure that projects are delivered efficiently, align with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and Capital Works Management Framework, and remain within the parameters of NDP funding.

Department officials will continue to engage closely patron bodies, management bodies and schools with respect to the timing of the progression of projects to tender and/or construction over the period 2026 to 2027. This will include continued engagement with KWETB and Blessington CC with respect to the progression of its project to tender/construction.

The current status of all projects continues to be set out under item number ten at the following link: www.gov.ie. This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (67)

John Brady

Question:

67. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a school building project (details supplied); the stage the project is currently at and to provide a timeline from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12983/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design, where the Design Team secure all statutory applications and prepare the tender documents.

The Board of Management and their Design Team lodged the application for planning permission in September 2023, and received a request for further information (RFI) in October 2023 from the Local Authority (LA).

The Design Team issued their response to that RFI in February 2024, and the LA issued the initial grant of planning permission in March 2024.

However, there was a third party objection to planning permission, and the decision was referred to An Coimisiún Pleanála. The Design Team secured the grant of planning permission from An Coimisiún Pleanála in October 2024, and are currently working on completion of their report, for submission to my Department.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

These projects are in addition to €254.93 million in capital funding for [County Name] schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period, a total of X schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 8 school projects in Wicklow under construction.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at Loreto Secondary school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (68)

John Brady

Question:

68. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on an extension for a school (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12984/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a programme of school building projects (Project Boyne).

The brief for the project comprises of the development of a new build Post Primary school to accommodate a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils and will include a 6 classroom Special Education Needs base.

The project is currently at an advanced point within Stage 3 of the architectural design process, the Tender Stage.

As the Deputy will be aware, the department has published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes.

The department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of these projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard the department has also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027. This list includes the project at Colaiste Chraobh Abhann and 2 other projects in County Wicklow.

These projects are in addition to the €254.93 million in capital funding for Wicklow schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period a total of 42 Wicklow schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large- scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 8 school projects in Wicklow under construction.

The 105 prioritised projects will progress to tender and/or construction on a rolling basis over the course of 2026 and 2027 and within the context of NDP funding parameters. The timing of project progression will reflect the need to carefully manage the rollout of these projects to construction on a controlled basis to ensure that projects are delivered efficiently, align with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and Capital Works Management Framework, and remain within the parameters of NDP funding.

Department officials will continue to engage closely patron bodies, management bodies and schools with respect to the timing of the progression of projects to tender and/or construction over the period 2026 to 2027. This will include continued engagement with Colaiste Chraobh Abhann with respect to the progression of its project to construction.

The current status of all projects continues to be set out under item number ten at the following link: www.gov.ie. This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (69)

John Brady

Question:

69. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a school building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is currently at; the timeline from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12985/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The Major Project for the school referred to by the Deputy consists of the demolition of the existing Senior school and the Construction of a new 12 Mainstream Classroom Primary school with 2 classrooms for children with Special Educational Needs on the Senior school's existing site. There are 6 Classrooms currently in the Junior school which are to be retained

The project is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.

All Statutory Approvals have been secured, and the Stage 2(b) Submission has been received and reviewed by my Department. As part of that review, comments have issued from the Department to the Design Team for their consideration and action.

The Design Team are required to confirm to the Department in writing that they have addressed the comments issued and are fully satisfied that their tender documents are in order, and meet all Department Guidance Documents, Building Regulation and procurement requirements.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

These projects are in addition to €254.93 million in capital funding for [County Name] schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period, a total of X schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 8 school projects in Wicklow under construction.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at Newtownmountkennedy National School will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (70)

John Brady

Question:

70. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a school building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is currently at; the estimated timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12986/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide new school accommodation for an 8 Classroom Primary School with accommodation including 2 classrooms for pupils with Special Educational Needs and all associated site works and will be delivered under my Departments ADAPT Programme.

The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning.

The project is currently at Stage 1 of architectural planning – Preliminary Design, including site assessment, location suitability and initial sketch scheme.

Upon receipt of the Stage 1 report from the Design Team on the 18th April 2025, a Stage 1 Stakeholders meeting was recently held on 28th May 2025, with representatives from the school authorities and patron body, all Design Team members, the Project Manager and Department officials in attendance.

Following the meeting the Design Team have been requested to address the Departments comments and submit an Addendum Stage 1 Report to my Department for review. The Stage 1 Addendum report was received by my Department in October 2025 and is currently under review.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

These projects are in addition to €254.93 million in capital funding for [County Name] schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period, a total of X schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 8 school projects in Wicklow under construction.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at Woodstock ETNS will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (71)

John Brady

Question:

71. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is currently at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12987/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The brief for the major building project referred to by the Deputy will delivery a 1,000 pupil Post Primary School and accommodation, including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs.

This project is currently planned to be delivered as part of Phase 2 of my Department's ADAPT 4 Programme - Programme Innovate.

This programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

This programme will be led by (IPT's) Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.

The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of IPTs for the Phase 2 bundle of projects, which includes the project referred to by the deputy.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by my department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

My Department will continue to keep the school and it’s patron body updated as the project progresses.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (72)

John Brady

Question:

72. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is at; the estimated timeframe from construction to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12988/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The brief for the major building project referred to by the Deputy will delivery a 600 pupil Post Primary School and accommodation, including 3 classrooms for children with special educational needs.

This project is currently planned to be delivered as part of Phase 2 of my Department's ADAPT 4 Programme - Programme Innovate.

This programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

This programme will be led by (IPT's) Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.

The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of IPTs for the Phase 2 bundle of projects, which includes the project referred to by the deputy.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by my department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

My Department will continue to keep the school and it’s patron body updated as the project progresses.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (73)

John Brady

Question:

73. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on an extension for a school (details supplied); when the project will move to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12989/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide one general classroom, one music room, one textiles room, one art room, one graphics room, two multimedia rooms, one science lab, one science prep area, two technology and shared prep areas, and a three-classroom special educational needs (SEN) base under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. This project was devolved to the school authority for delivery.

This project was approved to proceed to stage 2a (detailed design) in Quarter 3 2024. A stage 2a report submission was received by the school authority in September 2025 and is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (74)

John Brady

Question:

74. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a new school building project in a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12990/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

The brief for the major building project referred to by the Deputy will delivery a new 16 classroom Primary School and accommodation, including 4 classrooms for children with special educational needs.

This project is currently planned to be delivered as part of Phase 2 of my Department's ADAPT 4 Programme - Programme Innovate.

This programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.

This programme will be led by (IPT's) Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.

The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of IPTs for the Phase 2 bundle of projects, which includes the project referred to by the deputy.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.

My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027. This list includes 20 projects in County Dublin.

The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.

Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.

I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.

As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.

Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.

Education and Training Boards

Questions (75)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

75. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total funding provided to ETBs each year since they took on the role of intermediary body for funding local youth projects in absolute terms, and as a percentage of each year’s annual allocation to youth affairs, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12991/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

Funding is allocated to the ETBs to administer schemes such as UBU Your Place Your Space, Youth Information Centres, the Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative (TYESI), and the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS). Furthermore, funding to ETBs supports essential functions such as compliance oversight, needs assessments, service planning, interagency collaboration, and the administrative capacity required to manage policy implementation, budgeting, and resource allocation. This funding also enables ETBs to meet statutory obligations and support the effective implementation of youth work policy.

The sixteen Education and Training Boards (ETB) were established on 1 July 2013 under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 and full-year youth funding was provided from 2014 onwards. Over the period 2014 to 2026, funding provided to ETBs has increased by approximately 87%.

The total youth funding provided to the sixteen ETBs over the period 2014 to 2026 is provided in the table below and as a percentage of the overall core youth funding, current and capital administered by the Department. The funding provided in 2026 represents the funding provided to date.

Youth funding allocation provided to Education and Training Boards for the period 2014 to 2026.

Year	Youth funding allocation provided to ETBs (millions)	Overall A10.8 funding (Current and Capital) (millions)	Percentage of overall A10.8 funding
2014	€34.333	€50.278	68.29%
2015	€34.679	€50.425	68.77%
2016	€37.725	€53.897	69.99%
2017	€45.824	€59.994	76.38%
2018	€45.608	€61.545	74.11%
2019	€48.537	€63.145	76.87%
2020	€49.481	€65.973	75.00%
2021	€52.442	€69.873	75.05%
2022	€58.201	€74.579	78.04%
2023	€59.087	€76.768	76.97%
2024	€61.453	€79.603	77.20%
2025	€64.221	€86.111	74.58%
2026	€64.250	€94.111	68.27%

School Funding

Questions (76)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

76. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will intervene in the unsustainable situation currently facing school management at a school (details supplied) with regard to resourcing and provide interim supports for the remainder of the current academic year while we await the publication of the new DEIS Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12994/26]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

Tackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16.5 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to support the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy and to introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence this year.

My department is committed to supporting a quality and inclusive school system that provides an equal opportunity for success for all children. DEIS remains central to that commitment, and the forthcoming DEIS Strategy will ensure that supports are targeted fairly and reflect the evolving needs of our school communities by engaging with stakeholders and developing a more dynamic, needs-based allocation model.

The refinement of the DEIS model as part of the new strategy will consider how emerging or evolving patterns of disadvantage can be better addressed and how the system can best respond to schools that face increasing levels of need.

Any future expansion of the DEIS programme and overall allocation of resources will be determined within the context of the new DEIS Strategy, which will be published in the coming weeks.

• Written Answers Nos. 29-52
• Written Answers Nos. 77-95