The latest spending report from the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General shows that no formal data-sharing arrangements are in place between the Department of Education and local authorities for the provision of housing information in relation to the needs for primary and secondary schools.
The C&AG's examination team's review of housing reports for two local authorities found that the reports varied significantly in format, content and level of detail.
The Department was also unable to provide documented procedures demonstrating or recording how projects are prioritised within the school building programme.
It told the C&AG that school project assessments are based on qualitative assessment rather than scoring or weighting-based assessments, adding that many factors may be considered when assessing projects.
These include demographic need, accommodation requirements, existing school condition, project readiness, procurement constraints and budget availability. Decisions are also made on a case by-case basis.
The watchdog also noted that key aspects of the processes mainly rely on the knowledge and experience of a small cohort of staff. This heightens the risk of the loss of corporate knowledge where staff leave the Department, it added.
At the end of 2025, the Department had identified a total pipeline of 1,209 school building projects. This included the extension and/or refurbishment of existing schools (1,042) and new school builds (167).
By the end of May this year, just one-fifth of the 1,209 projects were at the construction or final account stage.
Today's report noted that none of the planned school building projects in four counties - Cavan, Mayo, Sligo and Westmeath - have been prioritised for progression in 2026. Louth and Kildare have the highest percentages of projects prioritised for progression, which may reflect a response to rapid growth in demand for school places related to broader population growth, it added.
In its recommendations, the C&AG said the Department of Education should strengthen the governance arrangements for the data used in its school planning and demographic analysis process.
"This should include establishing formal arrangements, where appropriate, with key external data providers and documenting the minimum information requirements to support planning decisions," it stated.
It also said the Department should establish standard frameworks for key aspects of demographic analysis and capacity assessments to ensure consistent decision-making and project prioritisation.
The Department was also urged to undertake a periodic formal review of projects in the pipeline to confirm the ongoing need for each project, with a particular focus on projects that have been in the pipeline for a significant period and/or have not progressed between stages within a reasonable timeframe.
The Department of Education and Youth's capital expenditure on school infrastructure has increased significantly in recent years.
Capital expenditure from 2021 to 2025 totalled over €6 billion. The National Development Plan (NDP) includes a €7.55 billion capital infrastructure allocation for the education sector for 2026 to 2030. This includes €1.6 billion for each of the years 2026 and 2027.
