Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
533. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all school building, extension, refurbishment and other capital projects delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in the Wicklow Wexford constituency in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33961/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2020, the Department of Education has provided over €100 million in capital funding for Wicklow-Wexford Constituency . Over this period, a total of 37 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are currently 10 school projects in Wicklow-Wexford under construction.
This summer, 5 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. In addition to this, 9 special classes are sanctioned for September 2026.
Analysis of over 100 completed large-scale projects nationally indicates an average of circa. 10% increased expenditure over contract values. Previously a circa 5% uplift was average; however, additional capacity for special education has been a significant driver of this recent increase, in response to a huge increase in demand for special education provision in the last few years. Site specific issues have also had a role in increased costs
The Deputy will appreciate that with the scale of the school building programme regarding projects completed since 2020, the dataset in relation to the specific questions is very substantial and would require individual project analysis. If the Deputy would like more specific information on an individual project/s, given that many projects are delivered on a devolved basis, my department can link in with the relevant school authorities for full details on same.
In relation to the specific questions raised by the Deputy, it is important to note that the status of all projects is set out at (www.gov.ie). This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
