Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
423. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the much-needed extension to a school (details supplied) and the need for additional accommodation for the coming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35727/23]
View answerThe project for the school to which the Deputy refers is devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education & Training Board (KWETB). The project is to provide an extension to the existing school, the demolition of a section of the building and the refurbishment of some of the existing buildings.
In April 2023, my Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief in the context of a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for a project to cater for a 1,000 pupil school plus 6 special education needs classes. The school's design team will therefore submit revised plans to incorporate the increase in advance of the school authority seeking the necessary planning approval. My Department is engaged with the school authority and expects to receive the new design submission shortly.
In order to cater for the school's more immediate enrolment requirements, I am pleased to advise the Deputy that funding was also approved for the provision of six modular general classrooms. The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and helps to ease the administrative workload for individual schools in relation to the management and delivery of the project. The project manager has sourced appropriate modular units and is currently arranging for their delivery and the required preparation of site works for these units.
