Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
276. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if her Department has received an application from a school in County Sligo (details supplied) for the provision of an extension to facilitate additional classrooms; and when the school will hear back from her Department. [22356/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.
Since 2020 my Department has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, including the completion of over 800 school building projects with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 31 new school buildings.
School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. We also have a large modular accommodation programme delivering urgently needed school places. 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.
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.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or 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 or at other schools in the area.
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 National Council for Special Education (NCSE), and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes. The capacity at other schools in the area is also considered as part of the assessment of any accommodation needs.
The application from the school in question is currently being considered by my officials. Once the assessment process has been finalised the school authority will be notified of the decision directly.
