91. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the proposed amalgamation of schools (details supplied); the current status of discussions with the respective school patrons and Boards of Management; the proposed timeline for any decision on amalgamation; and the steps her Department is taking to support this process. [17298/26]

I can confirm to the Deputy that my department received a request from the patron of the schools in question to amalgamate the two schools. This request was approved by the Department in November 2023, subject to the schools continuing to operate on their existing sites.

As the Deputy will be aware the decision-making authority for school amalgamations belongs to the patron or trustees of a school, and decisions are then subject to the approval of the Minister for Education. Any proposed change involves extensive negotiations 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.

An NDP investment plan for the education and youth sector was published in January 2026. A key focus of the €7.55 billion Investment Plan is the creation of additional places in special classes and special schools, as well as the targeted rollout of projects to meet the most urgent needs in areas of high demographic pressure. While the plan involves a heavy emphasis on maximising the use of existing capacity, it is is envisaged that circa. €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. My Department will engage with patrons regarding the prioritisation of investment in this regard.

Since 2020, the Department of Education has provided €93.34 million in capital funding for Cavan schools. Over this period, a total of 24 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are currently 4 school projects in Cavan under construction and 8 schoolsare approved toundergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. In addition, since 2020 a total of 35 special classes have been opened in Cavan, of which 5 were sanctioned for September 2026.