Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
427. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated completion date for new special classes at schools (details supplied); and when the school will commence for children with additional needs who were due to start in these classes [51241/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe schools to which the Deputy refers have been granted capital funding for the provision of Special Educational Needs Classrooms (SEN), under my Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects.
Rogerson Reddan (RR) and Kerrigan Sheanon Newman (KSN) have been appointed, from my Department’s Framework, to design and tender the projects at the schools in question. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and the Department.
The first school in question is in the early stages of development with an estimated completion date of Q1 2026 for the provision of additional accommodation. Communication is on-going with the school authority and project manager to progress the project on BCMS (Building Control Management System). The school authority as client and landowner has the responsibility to initiate the works on BCMS.
The second school in question has a reconfiguration project which is nearing completion and it is expected that the accommodation will be handed over for occupation at the start of next week.
My Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working closely with the Project Managers and School Authorities to keep them updated on overall project delivery and timelines.
