Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their concern. It is recognised that there is cross-party support for the provision of school facilities within this area straddling two constituencies. While I cannot, obviously, arrange a meeting on his behalf, I will certainly put the request to the Minister to meet parents' representatives on demographic pressures and their concerns about school provision. I am told the national demographic exercise involving all school planning areas at primary and post-primary level is due to be announced in the coming weeks. The Department is factoring into the demographic exercise its critical data, including updated enrolment data and up-to-date information on additional residential developments from local authorities. Any major new residential development can have a huge impact on demand in a school planning area. As such, it is important that where large developments are planned, the Department takes them into account.

The Department's report on projections for full-time primary and secondary level enrolments for 2017 to 2035, which was published last July, provides the latest set of long-term projects for full enrolments in primary and second level schools. The report is based on a number of assumptions and modelling of three migration assumptions and two fertility assumptions. The projections are based on a slightly positive inward migration trend from 2017 on and a gradual decline in total period fertility rate in the coming years to 1.8 by 2025, remaining constant thereafter. Therefore, enrolments at primary level are expected to peak in the 2018-19 academic year at 567,369 pupils nationwide before beginning to decline from the 2019-20 academic year. At post-primary level, enrolments are expected to increase until the 2025-26 academic year when they will peak at 416,897 before beginning to decline. I will put the Deputies' concerns and requests to the Minister, Deputy Bruton.

See this speech in context