Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
212. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that funding is provided for modular buildings to accommodate new sanctioned autism classes at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10031/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of almost 1,400 school building projects along with over 4,000 small-scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency and climate goal. As part of this unprecedented investment, my department delivered a new 16 classroom primary school with dedicated special education provision for the school referred to by the Deputy.
Following a total capital allocation of €1.6 billion for 2025, the Government announced a further 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. The approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate. 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. To support the delivery of special classes in good time, a new streamlined approach to funding was made available to repurpose existing accommodation for SEN in 2025. Further information on SEN repurposing supports can be accessed on www.gov.ie. The department will continue to engage directly with the school in order to provide an optimum approach for supporting special education provision in the area.
