Written answer
Schools Building Projects
The school’s additional-accommodation funding application remains under consideration; the Department is monitoring the reduced Junior Infant intake and will contact school authorities.
265. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to explain the delay in progressing the works needed at a school (details supplied) which has now resulted in the reduction to a single stream junior infant enrolment for the coming school year thus limiting the availability of multi-denomination places for parents of young children in the area. [75078/26]
Comment on this
I can confirm that an application for capital funding under my department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme was received from the school in question. The school's application is currently under consideration.
My department has published the NDP (National Development Plan) Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors 2026 - 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs within the allocated capital funding across all schools in the country.
This allows my department to keep a strong focus on the provision of additional capacity to cater for demographics, new housing developments and the roll-out of additional special classes for children with additional needs. This approach reflects the department's fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, there will continue to be a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity across the school estate and also ensuring that school admissions policies and processes are targeted at meeting local mainstream and special class requirements.
As soon as a decision on the school's application has been made, contact will be made with the school authorities directly.
I can further confirm that my department is monitoring enrolment trends in the School Planning Area concerned in light of the school's decision to reduce its Junior Infant intake for the forthcoming school year. Department officials will be in contact with the school authorities to discuss the implications of this decision.