Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2021
302. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education if an application for improvements to an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit and improvements to a sensory room at a school (details supplied) is been processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58281/21]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school authority referred to by the Deputy.
My Department officials have recently corresponded with the school authorities and on receipt of their response the application will be assessed. A decision will then issue to the school authority directly.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or a new SEN class has been sanctioned by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The second half of the National Development Plan will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock.
In addition to the ASA scheme, schools may apply for funding to address a range of capital works under the Summer Works and Emergency Works schemes while funding is also available under the Furniture and Equipment schemes. Further details on these schemes are available on gov.ie.
