James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising those concerns and this issue. I am glad to have the opportunity to work through the Department of Education's planning and how the model was arrived at whereby Ériu Community College will relocate from Hansfield to Hollywoodrath.

To plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas, SPAs, and uses a geographical information system, GIS, that uses data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data and others to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, the Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes at a local level where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development. Where demographic data indicates additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools, or provision of a new school or schools.

Ériu Community College was initially established in 2020 as a regional solution to serve the Blanchardstown west Dublin 15 and Blanchardstown village Dublin 15 school planning areas as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. Blanchardstown village Dublin 15 has three post-primary schools and Blanchardstown west Dublin 15 has two post primary schools in addition to Ériu Community College, which is currently located in that SPA. It has been established there is currently a lot of movement of pupils from primary schools within SPAs to post-primary schools in other SPAs. The enrolment numbers in the Mulhuddart-Tyrrelstown Dublin 15 SPA are significantly less than the schoolgoing population, according to the 2022 census, at both primary and post-primary levels. Recent analysis has shown there is a greater current and projected future demand for additional post-primary school places in the Mulhuddart-Tyrrelstown Dublin 15 school planning area as opposed to the Blanchardstown SPAs. Only 40% of the post-primary pupils living in the Mulhuddart-Tyrrelstown SPA attend schools located in Mulhuddart-Tyrrelstown SPA, while a further 27% of these pupils attend post-primary schools located in the Blanchardstown SPAs. Over 65% of pupils living in the Blanchardstown SPAs attend schools located in the Blanchardstown SPAs.

Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School and Coláiste Pobail Setanta in the Blanchardstown west Dublin 15 SPA and Scoil Phobail Chuil Mhin, Blakestown Community School and Hartstown Community School in the Blanchardstown village Dublin 15 SPA were all established to serve their school planning areas, respectively. The Department is satisfied these schools can adequately cater for children residing in these areas. Any additional capacity needed in Blanchardstown to meet rising demand from new residential development in the area can be catered for with extensions to the existing post-primary schools. Department of Education officials are willing to have further engagement with the patron on this matter.

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