Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the current position in respect of the permanent locations for Ballinteer Educate Together primary school, Stepaside Educate Together primary school, the new primary school to serve Stillorgan-Goatstown and the new post-primary school to serve Ballinteer-Stepaside. The Department of Education and Skills uses a geographical information system, GIS, to identify where the pressure for school places will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland and the Department of Social Protection in addition to the Department's own databases. It also uses data from the local authorities. With this information, the Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. The need for the four schools in question was identified as part of this analysis. Ballinteer Educate Together primary school opened in September 2012 and is in temporary accommodation at present. The Department has identified a potential site for the location of the permanent accommodation and is in ongoing discussions with the local authority regarding its suitability.

The Minister is pleased to inform the Deputy that a site identified as being a suitable location for the permanent school building for Stepaside Educate Together primary school has been acquired with the assistance of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Officials will be in contact shortly with the patron body in this regard and the Department is working to advance the proposed building project for the school. The new primary school to serve Goatstown-Stillorgan was one of the new primary schools announced by the Minister in February 2015 to open in 2016. The patronage determination process for this school will take place later this year or early in 2016. In the meantime, officials in my Department are working to find a suitable site for the school. Options for interim start-up accommodation are being examined at present and discussions will take place with the patron body in that respect. A suitable permanent site for a new post-primary school to serve the Ballinteer-Stepaside area has been identified and the acquisition process is under way. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, the Minister is not in a position to provide further details at this time. The Minister can, however, assure the Deputy the acquisition of a new site for the school is a priority for the Department and the patron body, Educate Together, will be informed of the location for the school as soon as it is possible to do so. Options for interim start-up accommodation are being examined at present and discussions will take place with the patron body in this respect.

I thank the Deputy again on behalf of the Minister for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position regarding the permanent location of the four schools in question and thank her for her comments. The provision of permanent accommodation for the four schools to which she refers is a priority for the Department of Education and Skills and the schools in question provide critical school places to meet specific demographic demand.

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