Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I am replying to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Coughlan. I thank Deputy Burton for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the process being utilised to ensure that there will be adequate accommodation in schools at primary and post-primary levels in all parts of the country.

The forward planning section of the Department of Education and Science utilises the latest in geographical information system, GIS, technology to assist in planning school requirements in the future. The GIS contains geo-coded information on all schools in the country at primary and post-primary level. This information is linked to the relevant demographic information for those areas, which typically is supplied from the Central Statistics Office's census data, the general registrar of births, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, An Post's geo-directory and information supplied by local authorities through development plans. Growth projection figures are applied to the existing population with a view to assessing future requirements and identifying the areas experiencing highest growth at primary and post-primary level. In addition, there is ongoing liaison between the Department and local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of major developments and their possible implications for school provision.

The forward planning section of the Department is in the process of carrying out detailed analysis of over 40 locations of highest population growth in order to identify the school accommodation requirements up to and including the school year 2014-15. Given the increase in the birth rate in recent years, the initial focus of this analysis is on primary accommodation requirements and this will be followed by a more detailed analysis of post-primary accommodation requirements. Overall school accommodation requirements in the Tyrellstown and Mulhuddart areas, including requirements for additional post-primary accommodation, are being considered as part of this process. However, the Deputy will be aware that a new post-primary school with capacity to accommodate 1,000 pupils is currently under construction in Phibblestown and this should assist in easing accommodation pressures at post-primary level in the Tyrellstown-Mulhuddart area in the short term.

See this speech in context