Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As her question was framed in a general way, I will begin with some general points and I can provide more specifics in my follow-up response.

On behalf of the Minister for Education, I will outline the position with regard to primary and post-primary school places in north County Dublin for September 2024 and onwards. I assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs, is an absolute priority for the Minister. The Department has invested significantly in schools in north County Dublin over recent years. Bremore Educate Together Secondary School, Balbriggan, had a new school building for 1,000 pupils completed in 2018. Coláiste Ghlór na Mara, also in Balbriggan, was completed in 2019 and has accommodation for 1,000 pupils. This investment has focused on provision of additional capacity to cater for the increasing population. There are further significant projects in the pipeline, including for the north Dublin area.

In line with the Department's demographic projections of post-primary school place requirements, there has been a continued growth in enrolments throughout many school planning areas in north County Dublin. In response, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in the area under the national development plan. They include projects at primary and post-primary schools and provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs.

Additionally there are a number of new school buildings and extensions which are at construction or planned, including for Lusk Community College, Portmarnock Community School, Malahide and Portmarnock Educate Together Secondary School phase 2, Ériu Community College, Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together National School, Rush National School, Stapolin Educate Together National School and Skerries Community College.

School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. There are also 200 modular accommodation projects that are very well advanced for delivery or at construction stage. This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities.

The Department is aware of pressures for school places in school planning areas across north County Dublin. A critical next step is to acquire clarity on the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. The Department is liaising closely with schools to ensure that this data is provided as soon as possible, and once it is received the actual requirement for places can be established. The Department is also engaging more generally with patrons and schools across other areas regarding school place needs with a view to identifying any required accommodation solutions. This close engagement with schools and patrons will also allow the Department to identify particular further capacity requirements for the forthcoming years and put any required solutions in place, beyond those that are already in train, to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.

With respect to special education, the Department works very closely with the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, in relation to forward planning for increased special education provision in the form of additional special classes and special school places. This close engagement with the NCSE involves strategic planning to ensure that existing accommodation capacity, where it exists, is utilised and maximised in the context of providing new special classes. It also facilitates the identification of required accommodation solutions, where additional capacity is required. The Department is working with the NCSE to ensure that required special classes across north Dublin can be facilitated, both to meet needs for 2024-25 and future school years. I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students throughout north County Dublin for the 2024-25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children in the north County Dublin school planning areas will receive a school place.

I can give the Deputy some more specific information on Skerries in the follow-up.

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