Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years, 2019 to 2022. This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the four-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.

The Cabra and Phibsborough Dublin 7 school planning area is currently served by eight post-primary schools.

This includes Cabra community college, which is under the patronage of the City of Dublin Education and Training Board. While categorised as interdenominational, Cabra community college is multidenominational in nature and provides for the local community and it could potentially bring additional capacity of this nature at post-primary level to this area.

The new schools announcement did not include a new post-primary school for the Cabra-Phibsboro-Dublin 7 school planning area. However, the requirement for new schools is being kept under ongoing review and in particular would have regard for the increased roll-out of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040. It will also take into account that, in the last number of years, three new multidenominational primary schools have been established in the area to cater for the increased enrolment numbers at primary level. The projected increased flow of pupils from the primary schools in this area when the current junior cohort from these schools reaches sixth class, as well as the output from more established primary schools in the area, will need to be taken into account in future demographic exercises when deciding on the need for additional post-primary school provision in the area.

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