Written Answers Nos. 412-422
412. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a capital project for a school (details supplied); the details of the works involved; the timeline for completion of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71099/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to was approved funding under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme or conversion of existing space to provide a Principal’s Office, Secretary's Office, and Entrance Lobby.
In December 2024, the Department authorised the project to proceed to construction, and the school has since confirmed that works have been completed.
413. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a capital project for a school (details supplied); the details of the works involved; the timeline for completion of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71100/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to was approved funding under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide a 2 classroom special educational needs base.
In September 2025, the Department authorised the project to proceed to construction, and the school has since confirmed that works are now underway on site, with an estimated completion date by the end of 2026.
414. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a capital project for a school (details supplied); the details of the works involved; the timeline for completion of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71101/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to was approved funding under my department Additional School Accommodation Scheme for a project to reconfigure existing accommodation to provide one Mainstream Classroom and one Special Education Tuition Room.
In September 2025, the Department granted authorisation for the project to proceed to construction. The school has recently confirmed that they expect the works to be completed by year end.
415. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a capital project for a school (details supplied); the details of the works involved; the timeline for completion of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71102/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the deputy refers to was granted capital funding for the provision of two Special Educational Needs Classrooms, three mainstream classrooms and seven special education tuition classrooms under my Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
The 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.
KSN has been appointed from my Department’s Framework to design and tender the project at the school in question. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and my Department.
I wish to advise that this project is being delivered over two phases. Phase one is the demolition of the one prefab, relocation of the existing sensory room and the delivery of the 2 SEN modular units, Soft Play and 4 SET rooms. Work in this phase is ongoing. Phase 2 will comprise the further demolition of the remaining prefabs and the delivery of the remainder of the accommodation. Works on phase two will commence in 2026 and it is hoped the project will be completed in Q3 2026.
416. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the school building projects for a number of schools in Dublin Mid-West (details supplied). [71116/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSt Thomas JNS & Scoil Áine SNS
The joint school building project will deliver two new 24 classroom primary schools with accommodation for children with special educational needs, at the current site in Lucan.
The project is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning Stage 1 – Initial Sketch Scheme. A preferred design option has been agreed by all Stakeholders and my Department have requested the Design Team to further assess the proposed construction programme and methodology.
The stage 1 report was received by my Department in May 2025 and is currently under review. Upon completion of the review, my Department will advise both schools and their design team regarding project progression.
Devine Mercy JNS & SNS
This joint school building project will deliver a new extension and refurbishment of some existing accommodation to provide a 24 classroom primary school with classrooms for children with special educational needs, at both schools.
The schedule of accommodation was recently increased to include SEN accommodation and the design options submitted by the Design Team are being evaluated by my Department.
A meeting of all stakeholders is anticipated to be held in the near future, to discuss and agree a preferred option which can be further developed and prepared to be submitted for planning permission.
Lucan Community College
The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is a large scale capital project for the construction of a new extension and the refurbishment of existing facilities to accommodate 1,000 pupils, including provision for Special Educational Needs (SEN) classrooms.
More than four years has elapsed since the publication of the contract notice and more than two years since the tender submission deadline. Given the passage of time since tenders were returned and the unacceptably high risk that the contract may not successfully be delivered within budget, the ETB were instructed to collapse the tender procedure in July 2025.
My Department officials have engaged with the ETB and School Principal and have proposed to progress a phase 1 of this project through my Department’s timber modular framework which offers an extremely high quality finish and fast delivery.
The proposal relates to Phase 1 of the school extension, covering a gross internal floor area of 1,500 m² includes the superstructure and internal finishes containing additional accommodation for 204 pupils and 4 additional classrooms for pupils with Special Educational Needs with sufficient flexibility to cater for subsequent phases on the site.
St Kevin's Community College
In respect of the schools existing accommodation, an Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) application was submitted by the school for works associated with universal accessibility. A tender report was recently received from the school and the EWS area is engaging with the school regarding some additional information on this report. The EWS area is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will continue to support the school in this regard.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
417. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth when funding to replace a school’s roof (details supplied) will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71218/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works.
It is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than the traditional single category at a time. This is aimed at managing market capacity and maximising value for money opportunities for school authorities.
In November 2025, my colleague the former Minister, Helen McEntee TD, announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS). 297 projects were approved to proceed across a spread of primary, post primary and special schools, which included projects across all counties and all categories of works. The investment in the first tranche of applications is in the region of €90m.
My Department can confirm an application was received from the school in question however the school was not on the list of approvals in the first tranche. Given that funding is limited in any particular year it is necessary to prioritise applications. Under the CASWS which operates on a multi annual basis, like previous summer works schemes, applications from schools that are not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.
It is anticipated that the next tranche of approvals will be in the latter half of 2026.
Full details of the of the announcement and the list of schools approved in the first tranche, the Circular (0029/2025) for the scheme and guidance documents for schools can be found at the below link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/.
418. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth when funding from emergency works will be released to a school (details suppled); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71219/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school in question submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for roof works, which was subsequently approved. These works have been with the school to progress and the EWS team recently received confirmation that the works in question have been completed, however the school did not submit the drawdown letter required in order to drawdown the funds. The EWS team contacted the school requesting the drawdown documentation in order to allow the EWS team to put the school in funds. To date no response has been received from the school and until the requested documentation has been received, My Department is unable to issue the funding to the school in question.
419. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school (details supplied) will be permitted to progress from stage 2b of the additional accommodation scheme for a new building; if she will engage with the school on this proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71261/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is now at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals, which have been secured, and the preparation of tender documents.
The Stage 2b submission report from the Design Team is expected in the coming weeks. On receipt of the report, my department will commence a detailed review of this report by the multi disciplinary team.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
420. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the percentage of her Department's 2024 Capital Budget allocation that was spent. [71277/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that all of my Department’s 2024 Capital Budget allocation was utilised in full in supporting school communities and in particular a strong programme delivery for accelerated delivery of accommodation for children with special education needs.
421. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a project (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage; the timeline for this project to go to construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71298/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Departments pipeline of school buildings projects to provide the following accommodation: eight General Classrooms, four Special Education Tuition rooms, one Music Room, one Textiles Room, one Art Room, one Multimedia Room, two Science Laboratories and Preparation Area, one Library and a General Purpose/Dining Hall. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.
A Stage 2b report was submitted to my Department in October 2025 and is currently undergoing a detailed review from a technical and cost perspective. Given the scale and complexity of this project the Stage 2b report will require a thorough and intensive review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Public Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
422. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a project (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage; the timeline for this project to go to construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71299/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred by the Deputy has been approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects to provide for 2 Science labs and prep area, 1 Home Economics room, 1 Textiles room, 1 Music Room, a 2 Classroom SEN base and ancillary.
The Stage 1 Report was received by my Department in Quarter 2 2025 and is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
