Construction of 58 school buildings set to resume after agreement reached

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD has today confirmed that an agreement has been secured to “guarantee and support” the rollout and continuation of the Department’s school building programme.

The construction of 58 schools was previously in limbo after the Department of Education and Department of Public Expenditure could not come to an agreement on the funding of the buildings.

The Department of Education will update each of the 58 schools in relation to the formal arrangements and next steps in respect of the delivery of their individual projects.

Minister Foley said: “The Department of Education is committed to an ambitious Capital programme that delivers new and modernised facilities in school communities and Government is absolutely supportive of continuing this very ambitious and important programme of delivery.

“This will include provision for all of the 58 schools that were temporarily paused to progress to tender and construction stage and Department officials will contact those schools directly.

“These projects will provide new and modernised facilities for our school communities and are an important aspect of the Department’s overall delivery under the Government’s National Development Plan.

“I would like to thank my Cabinet colleague Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe who worked tirelessly with me and my Department officials in order to facilitate the delivery of these urgently required school building projects.”

Minister Madigan said: “I am very pleased that we will be able to deliver on the planned school building projects. Many of these will support and enable the inclusion of students with special educational needs, in modern facilities.”