Grace Boland
Ceist:58. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a school build plan will move from Stage 2a to Stage 2b (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2580/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 14 January 2026
Ceisteanna (58)
Freagraí scríofa
The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings to provide three mainstream classrooms, one Special Education Tuition room, and a two classroom Special Educational Needs base.
The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.
The project is currently at Stage 2A (detailed design) of the architectural design process. The school authority has advised that planning permission has been secured however Departmental approval to progress to Stage 2B (Planning) of the architectural design process has not yet been granted. A Stage 2A report has been received and is under review from both a technical and cost perspective, in line with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.
In July 2025, 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 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. All projects, including this one, are subject to the due diligence set out in the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines and in line with the NDP.
My Department will continue to engage with the school authority to offer practical advice and support, as required.