582. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has carried out an audit on the condition of school buildings in County Meath; the findings of such an audit; the funding that is allocated to school building improvements for the year 2026/2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34412/26]

My Department has recently completed the data collection phase of the Schools Energy and Condition Inventory Survey for schools in County Meath. The site visits are undertaken by professional energy assessors who input the data onto a tablet on site and this is then uploaded onto the Department’s Information Management platform. The quality assurance and validation phase is yet to be completed. It is envisaged that this inventory will be completed by the end of 2026 and will be kept up to date as projects are completed.

The NDP Sectoral Investment Plan involves a capital investment of €7.55bn in our schools and Youth Sector for the 2026 to 2030 period. This investment builds on progress made over recent years and will support the operation of the school system and the Youth sector with the necessary infrastructure and facilities for the years ahead.

It is envisaged that this €7.55bn funding will be used as follows:

- €5 billion of NDP funding to support prioritised project rollout to provide additional capacity and modernisation of facilities with strong special education dimension to all projects

- €2.25 billion of NDP funding to focus on supporting the existing school estate in terms of maintenance, minor works and ICT grant funding, Climate Action Summer Works Scheme, other climate programmes and also increased capital funding for the Youth Sector.

- €0.3 billion to be used as a contingency fund for 2026 to 2030 period.

Since 2020, the Department of Education has provided €473.11 million in capital funding for Meath schools.

Over this period, a total of 62 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation.

There are currently 13 school projects in Meath under construction.

Another 7 school projects will go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027, and this summer, 10 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme.

In addition, since 2020 a total of 125 special classes have been sanctioned in Meath, of which 18 were sanctioned for September 2026.