Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
452. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has specific plans to undertake building works to expand a school (details supplied) in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45110/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra454. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has any specific plans to amalgamate schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45112/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 452 and 454 together.
I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has an application with the department, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme, for mainstream classroom accommodation. The application is currently under consideration.
Last January, I 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.
Of the total €7.55 billion investment, it is envisaged that approximately €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings. This project rollout will continue 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 a first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.
My department will engage with stakeholders to inform the next tranche of projects to roll out to tender. Meetings with patrons are scheduled for June. A next tranche of projects to proceed to tender is expected to be announced in 2027.
As soon as a decision has been made in relation to the school's application for additional accommodation the school authorities will be contacted directly.
In reference to the proposed amalgamation of the schools to which the Deputy refers, please be advised that the decision-making authority for any amalgamation is the patron/trustees of the schools concerned. It is open to any patron to submit proposals to the department for consideration. Any proposed change involves extensive consultation at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and contributes to an inclusive education system. The Patron and relevant stakeholders are also advised to consider the implications that any amalgamation proposal may have on factors such as school accommodation, funding, staffing and school transport so that an informed decision can be made.
Given the complexity of the proposal department officials are currently considering the feasibility of the proposal, taking account of existing capacity, projected enrolment trends and the requirements of the wider school planning area.
