Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
637. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the phase two redevelopment of a school (details supplied); when will it be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30980/26]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my departments pipeline of school building projects under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide ten mainstream classrooms (prefab replacement), three Special Education Tuition (SET) rooms, two Special Education Needs (SEN) classrooms and ancillary works.
I can confirm that the Department approved this project to proceed to Stage 2b in October 2024, and the post-planning report is currently awaited. More recently, the Department was informed that planning permission has been secured, and we have since reverted to confirm that the relevant conditions must be complied with. Once the Stage 2b is received, it will be assessed from both a technical and cost perspective. All projects, including this one, are subject to the full due-diligence requirements set out in my Department’s 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. 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, my 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.
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.
