Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
328. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she expects any of the sectoral plans under the NDP to be revised, with particular focus on education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15936/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.
Over the course of the NDP period, my department will continuously monitor, review, and update the plan to ensure it remains responsive to emerging priorities and evolving needs across the school estate. The department will also explore all opportunities to further enhance the plan, leveraging innovation and best practice to maximise impact. A strong focus will be maintained on ensuring value for money, optimising the use of available resources, and delivering sustainable, high-quality infrastructure that supports the long-term needs of schools and communities. It is also worth noting the National Development Plan is due to be reviewed by 2028, the outcome of which may necessitate a further review of the Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors.
Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.
