Minister Naughton publishes €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for 2026 to 2030 period

• Initial focus is on completion of close to 300 projects currently at construction to deliver over 30,000 additional and modernised school places
• 105 projects to progress to tender or construction over the course of 2026 and 2027 totalling over €1.6bn investment as part of first tranche of NDP Rollout. These projects to deliver 27,000 additional and modernised school places
• Strong focus in NDP Plan on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision
• Clarity and certainty now provided on annual December/January payment period for Minor Works and ICT grants to schools. Planning to commence on arrangements for increasing minor works funding at primary level and introducing minor works funding at post-primary level both from later in NDP period.
• Doubling of Youth capital funding to €4m per annum to enhance support for Youth Services

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has today announced the publication of the NDP Sectoral Plan for the Education and Youth sectors.

The NDP Sectoral Investment Plan involves a capital investment of €7.55bn in our schools and Youth Sector for the 2026 to 2030 period. This investment builds on progress made over recent years and will support the operation of the school system and the Youth sector with the necessary infrastructure and facilities for the years ahead.

It is envisaged that this €7.55bn funding will be used as follows:

- €5 billion of NDP funding to support prioritised project rollout to provide additional capacity and modernisation of facilities with strong special education dimension to all projects

- €2.25 billion of NDP funding to focus on supporting the existing school estate in terms of maintenance, minor works and ICT grant funding, Climate Action Summer Works Scheme, other climate programmes and also increased capital funding for the Youth Sector.

- €0.3 billion to be used as a contingency fund for 2026 to 2030 period.

Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, said:

Key aspects of the Sectoral Plan include the following for 2026 and 2027:

Project Rollout:

• Completion of circa. 300 projects that are currently at construction with most due to be completed in 2026 to provide over 30,000 additional and modernised school places.
• January 2026: Publication of first tranche list of 105 projects as part of initial two-year period of NDP rollout involving an overall investment of €1.6bn:
  • 80 Large-Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme prioritised projects to progress to tender and/or construction, as appropriate, over the course of 2026 and 2027 within the parameters of NDP funding.
  • 25 projects prioritised under the Modular Accommodation Programme to meet urgent additional capacity requirements. Additional projects under the Modular Programme will be added to this list to manage urgent annual needs.

These 105 projects will provide over 27,000 additional and modernised school places a particular priority is the expansion of capacity in our special schools.

• The first tranche of projects covers the initial two-year period of NDP rollout, and the next tranche of projects will be finalised and published afterwards (post 2027) following a stakeholder engagement process to identify the next most urgent priorities. This stakeholder engagement will be undertaken during 2026 and 2027 and will include an assessment of how well existing capacity is maximised and enrolment policies and processes are prioritising local special education provision and mainstream requirements. The Department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.
• Provision of additional special classes each year to meet annual needs with target to have up to 80% of them opened through repurposing existing accommodation.
• Continued strong focus on expansion of capacity at existing special schools and opening some new special schools where necessary. This will assist with the rollout of the Education Therapy Services.
• The delivery of the recently announced first tranche of 297 projects under the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. The next tranche to be published in October 2026. 100 existing projects as part of a variety of Climate Programmes being delivered through a combination of EU funded programmes and partnerships with SEAI

Minor Works and ICT Grants

• Clarity and certainty is being provided for school system on annual grant payment timeline which is now set at December/January payment period for each year
• Minor Works Grant for primary schools was paid in December 2025 for the 2026/2027 school year
• ICT Grant for primary and post-primary schools paid in January 2026
• As part of planning for a strengthened maintenance regime, December 2028/January 2029 is being set as planned payment timeline for (a) introduction of an increase in minor works grant funding at primary level and (b) introduction of minor works grant at post-primary level. Engagement to commence in 2026 with relevant stakeholders to develop appropriate methodology for targeting this increased investment on maintenance of the school estate that will be based on data from the Department’s energy and condition survey of the school estate that is due to be completed and validated by the end of 2026.

Other key initiatives being delivered

• Enhanced capital funding for Youth Services (from €2m to €4m each year) to support the sustainability and development of our Youth Services
• Priorities to be developed for the commencement of a PE Hall programme from 2029 onwards for those schools that do not yet have access to a PE Hall (currently 90% of post-primary schools have access to a PE Hall)
• Continue to support forward planning for SEN requirements including the planned rollout of the Education Therapy Service for Special Schools

Notes to Editors

The Department of Education and Youth NDP allocation for the 2026 to 2030 period is €7.55 billion. This equates to an average of €1.51 billion per annum with some front-loading in the initial period as set out in the table below:

The NDP Sectoral Plan for the Education and Youth sectors, and details of the 105 projects which will progress to tender and/or construction over the course of 2026 and 2027, can be accessed here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/school-building-and-design/

The Minister announced the plans at Powerstown Educate Together NS in Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15 where she turned the sod on an extension to provide additional special education needs accommodation.