Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 May 2026
342. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the national school capacity/accommodation inventory referred to by the Comptroller and Auditor General; whether it is fully integrated into the Department GIS system; the way in which it is used to decide between expanding existing school capacity and providing new schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41090/26]
View answerMy department maintains a school capacity inventory which is hosted on the Department’s GIS System as referenced by the Deputy.
The data recorded therein details the number of mainstream and special education teaching rooms and ancillary spaces at each school as provided by schools through various channels such as annual school data collection, applications for additional accommodation and other targeted capacity surveys.
The level of existing and planning school capacity in an area informs decision making and prioritisation processes, in respect to the school capital programme. My department has a robust forward planning process that analyses the current and projected future demand for school places at a local level. Both the demand and capacity data provide an informed evidence base to decisions made by my department.
