Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this motion on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity of outlining to the House the actions being taken by the Department of Education and Science to address the school accommodation needs in the Dublin 15 area. I am conscious that the Dublin 15 area, as a whole, is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country, as Deputy Varadkar stated, and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places.

The Department conducted a survey of all primary schools in Dublin 15 to determine the number of junior infants who enrolled in September 2006 and 2007. This survey indicated considerable numbers of children applied to enrol in more than one school. While this is understandable from parents' point of view, it also has the result of inflating the number of children apparently seeking places. Notwithstanding this, the Department of Education and Science is aware of the accommodation demands for September and is addressing this requirement. I assure the Deputy that all options will be considered to ensure that there are enough school places in September.

The Deputy will be aware that the programme for Government included a commitment to establish a developing areas unit in the Department of Education and Science, dedicated solely to progressing school planning in rapidly developing areas, including Dublin 15, building on improvements that have been made in recent years.

The Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All building projects arising from these are awarded a band 1 priority rating under the Department's prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects to ensure that they are delivered as expeditiously as possible.

The position on recent and ongoing developments in the provision of school accommodation in the Dublin 15 area is as follows. A new 16 classroom school for Mary Mother of Hope national school in Littlepace opened in September 2007. In addition, a new school for Castaheany Educate Together is on schedule to open for September 2008 and a new school for St. Benedict's national school is set to follow shortly thereafter. Extension projects for primary schools in Castleknock, Blanchardstown and Corduff are also being progressed. In the Diswellstown area, St. Patrick's national school moved into a new 24-classroom school last year. This will facilitate an annual three-stream intake.

A site is being secured for a new permanent school building for Tyrrelstown Educate Together national school and Mulhuddart national school and these buildings will be progressed. A new State model community national school, under the patronage of County Dublin Vocational Education Committee, is to be piloted in Phibblestown from September 2008. This will initially provide accommodation for an eight-classroom school, to be expanded to 24 classrooms as need is assessed.

With regard to the specific schools to which the Deputy refers, the current position is as follows. Castleknock community school is at stage 3 of early architectural planning. The stage 3 submission has been received and reviewed by the Department's technical staff and is awaiting approval. As soon as approval is received for this stage, the Department will liaise with the school authorities. St. Brigid's national school, Castleknock, is at stage 1 of early architectural planning. The Department's technical staff requested additional information on the stage 1 submission and this information is being reviewed. A report on the stage 1 submission will issue as soon as possible.

St. Mochta's national school was expanded in 2006 to cater for an annual four-stream intake. The extension to cater for this development has been progressed to architectural planning and a project supervisor for the design process has been appointed. The appointment of a design team will be progressed as soon as possible. All three school projects are being progressed without delay.

Due to the level of demand emanating from the Dublin 15 area, the need to make further provision at primary level in addition to that outlined above is being kept under continuous review by the Department. I am confident that the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area and I thank Deputy Varadkar for allowing me the opportunity to outline the Department's position on school provision in this area.

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