Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the establishment of a new secondary school in Lucan south, County Dublin, in view of the considerable demand for post-primary education in this rapidly growing area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33879/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is conscious of the extent of housing developments in the Lucan area and the consequences which this has for school provision. Because of this, substantial additional accommodation has been provided in the area by my Department at both primary and post-primary level in recent years and this is set to continue for the foreseeable future.

Based on current demographic trends, my Department anticipates that there will be a need for a further post-primary school in Lucan in the medium term and has asked South Dublin County Council to identify a site for this development. A timeframe for the delivery of the school will be known when a suitable site has been identified and acquired. The local authority has a number of local area plans in train and it is likely that we will be able to secure a site under this process. My Department is conscious of the lead-in period for the delivery of a post-primary school and is anxious to conclude the site issue as soon as possible. It will continue to engage with the local authority until this matter is resolved.

In the meantime, my Department has increased capacity at the four existing post-primary schools to 3,000 places overall. The current combined enrolment is 2,500 which means that there is spare capacity for some 500 pupil places. A building project which is in train for Lucan community college will further increase capacity by 200 pupil places. In addition to this, a building project for St. Joseph's College has been assessed and the project brief which will provide an additional 200 pupils places has been agreed.

The combined total of extra places which will be available when these projects are completed will be 900, equivalent to the size of a post-primary school in its own right. These measures will assist in reducing pressure for pupil places in the short to medium term, while the process of advancing the project for a new school continues.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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What is the timescale in advancing the new project? Most people in the Lucan south area will be encouraged to hear the Minister's comment that the Department will finally take this issue seriously. In 1996 this community had a total population of 7,500; ten years later in 2006 there were 7,500 children under the age of 14 years. I am sure the Minister accepts this is an unbelievable expansion of the population in this ten-year period. Will she be more specific about the timeframe involved, given the crisis in terms of the latent demand? There is a huge cohort of young children in the area who are finding it difficult to get into primary school, let alone secondary school. This is a problem that needs to be addressed urgently.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is correct in so far as he talks about the population of the area. In fact, that is why the expansion in the number of primary school places was so significant. Twelve primary schools now operate in the Lucan area. This has served to meet the needs to which the Deputy referred.

Site acquisition is the first issue to be addressed. We have asked South Dublin County Council to identify a site for us. Once that is done, we will be able to proceed with the planning of the school. The building projects for the other schools will progress also. I refer to the expansion of Lucan community college to provide 200 extra places and St. Joseph's College. I thank, in particular, the principal of St. Joseph's College, Siobhan Corry, who agreed to increase the number of student places to 1,000. I also thank the principal of Lucan community college.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The extensions will not address the huge population cohort. Given the positive remarks made by the Minister, will she agree to meet the Lucan south secondary school action group which has been seeking a meeting with her for some time?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Lucan south action group will be encouraged when it receives the reply. I am not in a position to give any further information, other than to say South Dublin County Council will identify a site for us. We will move on it and the other extensions also.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister agree to meet the group?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am sure the Deputy will have told it before the evening is out.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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It is not of any interest to me, as it is not in my constituency. I raise the matter as a general one. Will the Minister agree to meet the group?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That concludes Priority Questions. We will now take questions in ordinary time. Members will be aware that it is open to every Deputy to speak but there will be a one minute time limit after the Minister's initial reply.