Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
416. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she has received an application for an extension to Lisdoonvarna national school (details supplied); if consideration will be given to the fact that the school’s enrolment has recently surged, some children with additional needs are educated in the school’s library and storage rooms and there is no staffroom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27921/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. Officials from my Department have recently corresponded with the school Patron and on receipt of their response the application will be progressed and the decision will issue to the school authority directly.
The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
