314. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of the applications submitted by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54357/26]

I can confirm that my department is in receipt of an application, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school referred to by the Deputy. In 2022 the department approved Modular accommodation for a classroom for students with special educational needs and a further application was submitted for reconfiguration to create additional special educational needs accommodation.

A 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 and will give a good picture of the nature of accommodation at all schools. This will facilitate good strategic overview and decision-making on relative priorities between schools for further investment in the existing school estate. A decision on this application will be communicated to the school authority in due course based on this information.

The school in question also submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for Life safety Systems and Mechanical & Electrical works. The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation and, on this basis, the school was advised to submit a further information to the Department for review, drawings for mechanical and electrical application and consultants’ details for life safety application. Once this has been received the EWS team will review the revised application and will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.

The school in question applied for Climate Action & Electrical works under the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) which was not included in the first tranche of approvals for 2026, following engagement with the school it was agreed with the school that their most urgent priority was their roof and to be of assistance the Department allowed the school to recategorize their Electrical application to a roof works application. The school were advised their recategorized roof works under the CASWS would be prioritised for 2027 and in the meantime they could apply for EWS to address the most immediate issues while they await approval for the replacement of the roof under CASWS. It is anticipated that the next tranche of approvals will be in the latter half of 2026.