Written answer
Schools Building Projects
227. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a school (details supplied) and the need for a new school building. [54145/26]
Comment on this
An application under the Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) scheme was received in 2021 from the school referred to by the deputy. The application was for funding for the provision of 3x Special Educational Needs (SEN) classrooms.
Officials from the Department’s technical team carried out an in-depth review of the school site in 2021. The review confirmed that the school and the site are at maximum capacity and that it would not be possible to provide the required accommodation on site unless vast amounts of existing accommodation was to be demolished and replaced with two-storey accommodation. Considering all the relevant impediments to deliver the brief of accommodation and the site constraints, the project was not deemed to be viable.
In September 2025, in written communication to the school, the NCSE confirmed that any historical sanction letters for classes not progressed were void. The National Council for Special Education is continuing to review the SEN provision requirements in the wider area and the outcome of the NCSE review of SEN provision needs in the school planning area is awaited to determine next steps in relation to this school.
The Department's National Development Plan (NDP) involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and the prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. The NDP Plan will seek to optimise outputs from the capital allocation, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
In addition, following a recent meeting with the school authorities it was agreed to carry out a further technical visit to the school and this has occurred recently and the results of this visit will be examined in the wider context of available NDP funding and the priorities outlined in the NDP plan.