638. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Education and Youth when approval will issue for a project at a school (details supplied) to progress to stage 2A, noting that stage 1 approval was granted and the associated funding was drawn down almost a year ago; the reasons for the delay, given the urgent need for the additional accommodation within the school community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40171/26]

The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department pipeline of school building projects to provide two special education tuition (SET) rooms. This project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.

I can confirm that the Stage 2a (detailed design) report was submitted to my Department in Q3 2025. This report is undergoing a comprehensive technical and cost review. All projects, including this one, are subject to the full due-diligence requirements set out in my Department’s Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.

Although this project is not within the first tranche of school building projects recently published in the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan, it remains part of my Department’s overall pipeline of school building projects. The NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.

My Department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities.

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.

Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by my Department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.

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.