Written answers
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Department of Education and Skills
School Enrolments
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
350. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which primary school places at Johnstownbridge, County Kildare continue to be assessed with a view to ensuring that accommodation is sufficient to meet population increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6638/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
Johnstownbridge is part of the Longwood School Planning Area. My Department's projections of primary school place requirements in the Longwood SPA indicate that enrolments at primary level peaked in 2022 and will steadily decrease in the coming years. At a national level, primary enrolments are projected to decrease by circa 10,000 every year over the course of a decade.
It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications
- School of choice
- Single sex schools
- External draw
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
My Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in Johnstownbridge, as with other areas across the country, under review.
No comments