Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Senator will have heard me respond to Senator Kyne, not about Newbridge but about Galway. As she mentioned, ensuring we have adequate school capacity throughout the country is a perennial issue and Kildare is no exception to that. As I mentioned to Senator Kyne regarding the 315 school planning areas, child benefit data, school enrolment data and residential development activity, which Senator O'Loughlin mentioned, will all inform what capacity is required and where it is required. The projections are informed by multiple factors, including primary school enrolments in the area and primary-to-post-primary transfer patterns. The Department can then assess where additional provision is made as necessary where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs.

The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities. As I mentioned to the previous Senator, a critical next step is to acquire clarity on the actual number of first year places required for 2024 in order for any necessary solution to be put in place. The same applies for Newbridge where schools have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. The Department is liaising closely with schools in the area to ensure this data is provided as soon as possible, and once it is received, the actual requirement for places can be established. The Department is having discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities regarding potential solutions, but until the data is to hand, it cannot decipher where the actual school places are needed.

That close engagement with schools and patrons is ongoing. It is not just about September 2024 but also about planning into the future to try to alleviate the constant worry for parents as to whether they have a school place for their child.

The Department's projections for post-primary school place requirements in Newbridge and the south Kildare area are showing continued growth in the short term. The Senator mentioned a number of building projects under the national development plan. The project that will provide the most significant additional capacity is a new 1,000-pupil school building for Curragh Community College which will also provide four classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, which I very much welcome. This provision of a new replacement school and relocation to the former Magee Barracks site in Kildare town will provide significant additional capacity in the area.

There are also additional projects approved at the schools in Newbridge and south Kildare, including a major project for Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge to expand the school to cater for 1,000 pupils. That project is currently at stage 2b, architectural planning detailed design. In addition, there is also a major project approved for Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen, which is to expand the school to cater for 1,000 pupils, and this project is also currently at stage 2b.

I appreciate what the Senator said about duplicate applications, which can be troublesome when trying to decipher how many places are actually required. I also note her suggestion about a streamlined CAO-type process. I can bring that suggestion back to the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Department. There is certainly merit in considering something like that for the future.