Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to acknowledge the Deputy's personal interest in moving this issue forward and his engagement with me on the matter on several occasions. I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. The application is currently being assessed and, once it is completed, the school authority will be informed of the outcome.

When capacity issues arise, they may not be as a result of a lack of accommodation. They may be driven by certain other factors, such as a duplication of applications if pupils have applied for a place in several schools in the area. Another factor may be that pupils are unable to get a place in their preferred school but there are places in other schools in the town or area. Some towns or areas have single-sex schools and although places may be available in such schools, they may not be available to all pupils. There is also the issue of external draw, that is, pupils coming from outside the local area. The true extent of any capacity issue will only become known once these issues are discussed with the relevant school authorities.

Similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, including the patron in question, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year which may necessitate action.

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