Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
409. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 638 of 10 February 2026, if two extra places will be available in a school (details supplied) following the completion of the current major project to provide the three storey 1,000 pupil community school, given information provided in that reply indicates current enrolment is circa 998; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16287/26]
View answerAs 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 and Modular programmes.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of these on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities.
Since 2020, my department has provided €1824.69 million in capital funding for Dublin schools. Over this period, a total of 245 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are currently 60 school projects in Dublin under construction.
The current major project in the school referred to by the Deputy is designed to accommodate a minimum of 1,000 pupils and is part of the 300 schools currently under construction.
In line with the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan, guidance has been published on my department’s website which will ensure that available capacity is maximised, allowing for an enrolment greater than the minimum design capacity. (Guidance Support the Optimisation of Accommodation Usage in Post Primary Schools Oct 2025- available at www.gov.ie)
My department will be engaging with patrons to ensure enrolment policies, which are the responsibility of the school authorities maximise the available capacity in areas of demographic pressures.
