329. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 277 of 25 June 2026, the reason a general purpose hall was omitted from the build at a school (details supplied) despite the enrolment of the school being known at the time of application and planning was granted. [53353/26]

I can confirm to the Deputy that phase 1 of this school's project saw the delivery of a new school building on a greenfield site comprising four mainstream classrooms, one special education (SEN) classroom, and associated ancillary accommodation.  The timelines for proceeding with phase 2 will be determined in due course and will also factor in the level of increase in enrolments in the interim.

At present, the school has staffing for two mainstream classes and one SEN class. This indicates that there is significant spare accommodation capacity available within the existing school building.

A capital allocation of €7.55 billion has been confirmed for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026–2030. Under this programme, priority will be given to meeting urgent school place requirements and ensuring the optimal use of the existing school estate before additional capital projects are progressed.

In this context, large-scale projects and additional accommodation works will be prioritised based on demonstrable need, including capacity pressures at local level. The department will continue to advance projects on a phased basis under the NDP Implementation Plan, with further project tranches to be identified over the lifetime of the programme.

The primary focus of the department remains the provision of sufficient school places for all children, including those with special educational needs.  My department will continue to monitor the development of enrolments at the school in question in relation to the requirement for further accommodation and within the context of NDP Implementation priorities.