Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the process being used in the Department of Education and Science to ensure there will be sufficient accommodation in schools at primary and post-primary level in all parts of the country.

In response to the rapid pace of social and demographic change in Ireland, the forward planning section of the Department now uses the latest technology in geographical information systems, GIS, to assist it in planning the location of schools for the future. The GIS system contains information on all schools in the country, primary and post-primary, which are geocoded to their correct location. This information is then linked to the relevant demographic information for those geographic areas, with a view to forecasting future school accommodation needs.

Typically, the demographic information will be from the Census 2006 population figures, supplemented by information from the local authority. The An Post geodirectory is also used to set out spatially where demographic increases are occurring. To assess future school accommodation needs, growth projection figures are applied to existing population figures, which are supplied either by local authorities through their area development plans or based on CSO regional population projections.

The forward planning section of the Department is in the process of applying this technological approach to the entire country and when this exercise has been completed, a full data set on priority areas will be available. As a matter of course, there is also ongoing liaison between the forward planning section and local authorities in order to establish the location, scale and pace of any proposed major housing developments and their possible implications for school provision.

In this regard, officials from the Department have met with officials from Cork County Council to assess the extent of ongoing and proposed residential developments in County Cork, particularly with regard to the east and southern environs of Cork city, including the Midleton area. As part of the Midleton special local area plan, the local authority has included plans for the provision and construction of primary schools and the setting aside of land for the construction of a new post-primary school to meet the educational needs of the population of the area.

Progress on the development of these schools, together with any applications for capital funding from existing providers, will be considered for progression in the context of the Department's school building and modernisation programme, consistent with the priority attaching to these projects under the Department's published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects.

I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter and assure him that the capital allocation of €4.5 billion for school buildings under the current national development plan will be prioritised by the Department to ensure that school places are available where needed, including in Midleton.

I take this opportunity to wish Deputy Stanton, all the staff of the House, the Acting Chairman, Deputy Charlie O'Connor, and all his constituents in Tallaght and surrounding areas a very happy Christmas.

See this speech in context