Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2025
332. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education when the expansion of special needs classes in a school (details supplied) will be approved; when funding will be made available; and the timeline for the project. [5704/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has recently received an application, under the Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme (ASA), from the school authority in question.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
Since 2020, my Department has invested over €5.7 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,150 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 40 new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.3bn. My Department has invested significantly in Dublin during this period for a total of over €1314 million.
The Department previously announced that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.
Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in this latest phase, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 550,000 square metres of new and modernised capacity to our school estate.
This is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country.
The ASA application from the school in question will be assessed and a decision will issue to the school authorities directly upon completion of the assessment process.
