Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 May 2026
133. 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. [40814/26]
View answerThe 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).
A stage 2a report was received in April 2026, which is currently under review from both a technical and cost perspective and will be subject to the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines and to overall programme prioritisation within the parameters of NDP funding.
My department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available for all school pupils and will, in the wider context outlined, ensure that each school project on the school building programme is subject to the due diligence required under the Public Infrastructure Guidelines.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department published the €7.55 billion National Development Plan (NDP) Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. The prioritisation of projects included in this plan focused on facilitating those projects already at Stage 3 to proceed to construction as smoothly as possible during 2026 and 2027.
In addition, the prioritisation of projects at Stage 2b focused on those which had secured planning permission and were therefore at an appropriate stage of readiness to progress to tender. Within this cohort, special school projects were afforded the highest priority. For all other schools, a multi-faceted qualitative assessment of relative priority was applied. This assessment took account of a range of factors, including the availability of permanent accommodation, demographic pressures both at school and area level, special education capacity being provided, the extent to which schools are prioritising local school place needs, any significant condition issues at the school, interim accommodation constraints, and the duration of the project to date.
The project at this school remains at a preliminary design stage, as planning permission has not yet been secured. As such, it was not sufficiently progressed to be included in the initial tranche of projects advancing to in 2026 and 2027. Progression to the next stage, following receipt of a Stage 2B report (post-planning), will be considered as part of the Department’s overall programme prioritisation, in the context of available NDP funding.
