203. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an application regarding a project at a school (details supplied) under the additional school accommodation scheme, given the school shows a consistent increase in enrolments and a consistent number in their after school facility. [44864/26]

I can confirm to the Deputy that an application under the department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme was received from the school in question. The application relates to provision of an additional mainstream classroom and is currently under consideration by my officials.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €6.9 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects along with over 4,000 small-scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency and climate goal. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation. This investment has delivered real benefits for school communities.

Given the general downward direction of overall enrolments in the area the department's focus for the assessment of such additional accommodation applications will be as follows:

• Analyse the extent to which enrolments at this school and neighbouring schools are serving the local area in the first instance. This will identify if some of the pressures on local capacity are arising from the enrolment of pupils from outside the local area where there may be other school provision opportunities available to them.

• In assessing accommodation capacity at this school and neighbouring schools, an assessment will need to be made on how best to utilise existing capacity in the context of both mainstream and SEN requirements in the local area.

The above sets the parameters for the department’s decision-making processes and this will, where necessary, involve engagement with school patrons and relevant individual schools as appropriate.

The application is being considered in the context of NDP funding and the school will be contacted directly when a decision has been made.