Mr. Hubert Loftus:

When we are looking at demographics, we look at what is the capacity of the existing school system before we look at new schools. That is our first port of call. Looking at demographics overall, the bulge has been there already for the past few years and has worked its way through primary education. Focusing on first-year numbers, to give a sense of where the bulge is at, 2013 or thereabouts was the peak year for junior infant numbers at primary level. Working that through to post-primary level, we will be more or less at the peak in the next year or two in terms of enrolments. That will then work its way through the system. We are still on an upward curve overall and, as I said earlier, there are also more than 1,000 Ukrainian children in sixth class at primary level who will feed into the post-primary system. There is also the question of how all the new housing developments will impact on provision.

To answer the Deputy's question, it really depends on how those particular demographics land in a particular area. That determines the number of new schools. Our typical approach is to provide new post-primary schools at scale for 1,000 pupils or thereabouts. It takes quite a bit of demographic requirement to justify a new 1,000-pupil school.