I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department prioritises its capital funding for the provision of school accommodation to meet school place requirements, including for children with special educational needs. It does not provide funding towards the provision of accommodation for childcare or other non-school related services.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has historically funded a very small number of pre-school services in schools in areas at particular risk of disadvantage and social exclusion. Outside of these initiatives, schools themselves are free to decide if they wish to make their facilities available for the running of early learning and care and/or school-age childcare services, and my Department understands that some schools do so. Any decision to make school facilities available lies with the relevant Trustees/ Property owners having regard to the requirements of the school, staff and students.
In 2017 guidelines, which were developed in consultation with school authorities, on the use of school buildings outside of school hours were published (Guidelines on the use of School buildings outside of School Hours) and a copy of these Guidelines is available on my Department's website. These Guidelines include information which school authorities should consider in the event that they receive an application for the use of their school in connection with a pre-school. Where that proposed use may take place within school hours consideration has to be given to the impact on the capacity of the school to meet its requirements, including special education provision. The priority use for school accommodation is, necessarily, the provision of mainstream primary and post primary school places, as well as provision for children with special educational needs. Therefore, where a school is letting of part of its property as an early learning and care setting during school hours, they must first have the prior approval of the Minister. In addition, where schools enter an agreement for the use of their facilities it should include a condition that the agreement may be terminated should the facility be required for education provision.
The Board of Management is responsible for the direct governance of a school and for the use of school resources and facilities subject to the approval of the Trustee/Patron. The onus is on the Board of Management and the Patron to ensure that there is sufficient accommodation to meet the school’s long-term projected enrolment and any development which may arise in the area. In that regard, where additional accommodation is required at the school in the future, any accommodation used for purposes other than primary school provision must revert to mainstream use as soon as the need arises. The use of classrooms for teaching and learning is the priority for the school.
In general, capital funding by my Department is reserved for the provision of mainstream school accommodation for primary education upwards, as well as for children with special educational needs. Funding for pre-school services is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
