Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 December 2025
283. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth when funding will be available to physically amalgamate two schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68664/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department recently approved an amalgamation request from the patron of the schools referred to by the deputy. This agreement by the department was on condition that the newly amalgamated school would operate from the existing schools sites. It was outlined in the agreement letter to the patron that capital funding would not be provided except for essential works e.g. changing/toilet facilities.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
My department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication later in the autumn. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
