I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school in question has received approval in principle for a building project under my department’s Additional School Accommodation, or ASA, scheme. The project will provide for two mainstream classrooms and two special education teaching rooms. This project is currently at Stage 3, tender stage.
In addition, further approval was provided under the ASA scheme in 2022 for modular accommodation to provide one mainstream classroom and two special education tuition rooms. In early 2023, the brief for the school was reviewed and a further special education needs classroom was added to the scope. This project is currently on site under construction.
I can confirm to the Deputy that the department is in receipt of a letter dated the 28th February 2024 from the Board of Management of the school in question in relation to the acquisition of a greenfield site by the school.
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 main focus of the department’s capital funding over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and children with special education needs. The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and replacement of existing school infrastructure will be kept under review.
I would note that the level of additional accommodation already being progressed for the school under reference, both under the modular and traditional-build ASA programmes, will significantly improve the teaching and learning environment.
Modular accommodation being provided to schools today is high quality, robust and durable. All new buildings, including modular buildings, are required to meet the Near Zero Energy Building, or NZEB, standard, which ensures high levels of energy efficiency, thermal performance and sustainability.
Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 800 school building projects with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects. The 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2bn.
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.
In Co Donegal alone, since 2020, my Department has invested €123.5m in our schools and completed 35 school building projects.
I also recently announced that close to 90 projects currently at the tender stage, which includes the ASA project for the school under reference, will be authorised to proceed to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.
The Department’s approach is to maximise the usage of existing capacity in the school estate and, in tandem with this, to manage the progression of the existing pipeline of projects within available budgets and in line with the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines.
