Cathal Crowe
Ceist:102. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the status of her Department’s engagement with a school (details supplied) in order to progress an application for a new school building. [23363/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 12 May 2022
Ceisteanna (102)
Freagraí scríofa
I wish to confirm to the Deputy, that an application for Major Capital Funding, has been received from the school in question. Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years.
The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large-scale projects being delivered under project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on my Department's website, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.
My Department is also in receipt of an application for funding under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question. 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. 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 latter part of the National Development Plan will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock.
The application is currently under consideration following my officials' recent meeting with the school. Once the assessment process has been completed a decision will issue to the school authority directly.