Emer Currie
Question:144. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38142/26]
View answerWednesday, 20 May 2026
Questions (144)
Written answers
I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department recently received an application from the school in question, for Major Capital works for a new school building.
As the Deputy will be aware, the department recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. In line with the NDP Sectoral Plan, capital investment will be targeted and prioritised to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs, focusing on maximising the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance.
This proposal for a new school building will be considered in the context of a number of core factors including the school’s accommodation requirements, available accommodation capacity across schools in the area, demographics in the school planning area, school building projects already in train and projected demand for places in the school planning area.
The department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis and in consultation with patrons to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. 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 and will give a good picture of the nature of accommodation at all schools including special schools. This will facilitate good strategic overview and decision-making on relative priorities between schools for further investment in the existing school estate.
A decision on this application will be communicated to the school authority in due course.