Schools Building Projects

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2021

Tuesday, 23 November 2021

Questions (394)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

394. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which her Department continues to respond expeditiously to requests for new schools or extensions to existing schools at primary and second-level throughout the country including County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57579/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. There will be a rolling 5 year funding envelope which will be updated annually for the period 2026 to 2030 within the Government’s overall NDP funding envelope of €136 billion in exchequer capital (€165 billion total capital including non-Exchequer) and will facilitate building a modern and sustainable school infrastructure.

This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland.

During the period 2018 to 2020, 526 school building projects were completed under the Large Scale Capital Programme (LSCP) and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA). These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places. 16 of these projects delivered were in County Kildare; 13 of those were primary schools including one special school and 3 were post-primary school building projects.

A further 13 projects are currently on site, eight at primary level and five at post primary. 35 projects are at various stages of planning and design.

The current status of these projects being delivered is listed on a county by county basis on gov.ie and is updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the stages. It should be noted that at individual project level, Design Teams are required to provide a delivery programme to school authorities and to keep them updated on progress of their projects including through the provision of monthly progress reports.