Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:464. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeline for the delivery of a new building for a school (details supplied). [71848/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 16 December 2025
Ceisteanna (464)
Freagraí scríofa
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide one Multi-Media room, one Textiles room, one Graphics room, one Construction room, one Technology prep room, one Science lab & prep area and one Project store. The inclusion of a PE Hall or GP/Dining Hall depends on site feasibility, constraints, and input from the Local Authority and Heritage Officer. The project was devolved for delivery to the Cork Education & Training Board.
The Stage 1 report has been submitted and is currently under review. Once this review is complete, my Department will be in a position to provide clarity on the accommodation to be progressed. Given the complexities of this project, the evaluation will require a comprehensive review from both technical and cost perspectives to ensure full compliance with cost requirements, procedural standards, and the defined project scope. 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.
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.