Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
398. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education when three additional classroom and a temporary ASD classroom will be approved for a school (details supplied) considering that they are urgently required; when can they expect to get approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13633/24]
View answerI am pleased to confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question was approved capital funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for 2x Special Education Needs Classrooms. This project has been devolved to the school authorities for delivery and is currently at stage 1 - preliminary design.
The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or by other schools in the area.
I can also confirm that my Department has recently received a further application for the ASA scheme from the school in question. This application is being considered by my officials and a decision will issue to the school authorities as soon as possible in this regard.
The Department is required to manage the overall school building programme so that we target and prioritise areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects the Department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department has broadened its delivery streams and is utilising Modern Methods of Construction, including Modular Accommodation, as well as traditional construction delivery methods. Modular accommodation has particular advantages in terms of overall timelines and also climate impact in that they generally use decarbonised heating sources.
In overall terms, it is important to have a range of delivery mechanisms for delivering school accommodation to support the current very strong and ambitious roll out of school building projects. This is particular relevant given the overall challenging construction sector market.
Since 2020 my Department has invested in the region of €4.3 billion in our schools throughout the country, including the completion of over 750 school building projects with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 34 new school buildings.
School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. We also have a large modular accommodation programme delivering urgently needed school places.
This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities.
The main focus of my Department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics.
Officials from my Department will be in touch with the school authorities in relation to this application as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
