66. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the progress of the additional accommodation scheme for a school (details supplied); the current status of the project within the Department's planning and approval process; to indicate the stage the project has reached; and to provide an estimated timeframe for the next steps in progressing the scheme. [67440/26]

The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department's pipeline of school building projects under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide a four-classroom special education needs base and associated ancillary accommodation.  The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.

A Stage 1 (Preliminary Design) Report was received by my Department in Q1 2026 and is currently under review. In line with the Department’s Infrastructure Guidelines, all projects are subject to the necessary technical and cost assessment as part of this process. Given the complexity of the evaluation and the need to ensure full cost compliance and alignment with the National Development Plan, this review is necessarily thorough. Managing timing, scope and cost is essential to ensuring projects can be delivered within the overall capital budget available.

As with all school building projects, progression through the remaining stages will be considered in the context of the funding available under the National Development Plan and the overall prioritisation of projects within the Department's capital programme. While it is not possible to provide definitive timelines for progression at this stage, the project will continue to be advanced in accordance with the Department's Infrastructure Guidelines and the NDP.