Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
376. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the increased demand for a sports hall for a school (details supplied) and if she will meet a delegation from the school to discuss this urgently required facility for the school. [27316/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm that my Department received an application for capital funding in 2021 for a new sports hall from the school referred to by the Deputy.
The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation (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 particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision in order to ensure every pupil has a school place each September. The Deputy may also be aware of the very significant school building programme that is currently underway. Overall, there are in excess of 1,300 school building projects at various stages of design, planning, and construction. The current status of approved projects under the school building programme is listed on a county by county basis on my Department's website at www.gov.ie. and is regularly updated.
However, under Project Ireland 2040, there will be an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This will include a PE Hall build and modernisation programme to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision. My Department is therefore not in a position, at this point, to consider the school's request for a PE Hall. However, the request will be kept under review in the context of funding becoming available for this purpose in the future as outlined. My Department has recently clarified this position directly with the school.
