Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:568. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34321/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 12 May 2026
Ceisteanna (568)
Freagraí scríofa
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school building under the Additional School Accommodation scheme for a project providing one mainstream classroom. This project is devolved for delivery to the School Authority.
A Stage 2b (post planning) report was recently submitted to my department and is currently under review. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines. Given the detailed nature of the evaluation process, the need to ensure full cost compliance, and the requirement to align the project with the prioritisation framework under the National Development Plan, this review process is necessarily thorough. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall programme.
As the deputy is aware my Department recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. 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.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, my department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.