Schools Building Projects
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-23
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Hildegarde Naughton (FG), Galway West

I thank the Deputy for her question. My Department’s process for delivering a school building project under the large-scale programme or additional school accommodation programme involves five core stages. These stages are reflective of the capital works, management framework and infrastructure guidelines. The stages range from preliminary design to completion and handover. My Department’s design team procedures set out the requirements to be followed at each stage of those processes. These procedures are available on the website.
At a high level, the work progressed at each of the key stages is as follows: stage 1 includes reviewing the project brief information and analysing all the site factors which may impact on the project’s viability; stage 2(a) includes the development of the design, cost planning and preparations to lodge the statutory approvals; stage 2(b) includes obtaining all the statutory approvals, preparing the tender documents and pre-tender cost plan; stage 3 includes running the tender process, assessing the tenders and awarding the project contract; stage 4 refers to the construction. Finally, stage 5 includes ensuring quality completion and timely project handover along with the final account.
In order for a pipeline project to move from one stage to the next, confirmation is always required that the project is compliant with all the relevant technical and cost requirements. Other factors which influence the timing for progress include relative prioritisation of the project and the timing affordability within the national development plan funding parameters, taking account of the overall programme requirements. Delays can occur on occasion due to factors beyond the Department’s control, for example, challenges in acquiring a site, planning permission issues, procurement difficulties or adverse weather while the project is at construction. Some of these issues are not unique to the school building programme and the Department manages challenges as they arrive. Overall, my Department endeavours to manage the school building programme across the estate of over 4,000 schools to ensure that projects are delivered to meet the most urgent needs in the shortest possible timeframe. This year, will see at least 1,000 projects under construction across a range of programmes.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-23