Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise the issue and the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, for coming in to respond.

I acknowledge the huge work the Department of Education and Skills is already leading in regard to diversity of patronage at second level schools and in having a wide variety of organisations involved in running the secondary schools. The Department has recently made strong progress in this area. As the Minister of State is aware, three Educate Together secondary schools will open in the Dublin area in Hansfield, Lucan and Drogheda. Each of those schools has different patronage arrangements but Educate Together will be involved in each of them. As he is also aware, the Educate Together movement at primary level has been extremely successful. Such schools are popular with parents and teachers and are delivering innovation in curricula and a new school environment which is having a very strong and beneficial effect on young boys and girls across the country.

In Dublin 1, 3, 7, 9 and 11 there is a very large number of very successful Educate Together primary schools. As those students progress to secondary school, there is no Educate Together secondary school available in that part of the city that is capable of taking them in and allowing them to develop their education within that stream. There is significant parental interest and support for this, as the Minister for Education and Skills is already aware. I know he met representatives of the campaign group and signalled that he supports it in principle. This has already been advanced for other schools in Dublin. He asked that work be undertaken to assess the level of demand and what role the City of Dublin VEC could play.

I raise the matter because of the level of parental interest. Even though the campaign is just beginning, it has already obtained 2,500 signatories. Given their numbers we have a duty to parents to offer them a second level option that allows the excellence that has been delivered at primary level to be maintained. It is in the interest of the parents and the students who decide to go to Educate Together schools. I also believe it is in the interest of the overall educational system. All our schools, regardless of their patronage, do a fine job at the moment in moulding young boys and girls and giving them the support they need. Educate Together has brought something to the system that should be welcomed and supported. Given the level of parental demand and interest, I ask that the Government respond to this and put together a plan to meet the need and provide a school in this part of the city. Given the progress made to date elsewhere on this, I ask that the same level of support be given to this part of the city.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this matter on behalf the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. I thank the Deputy for raising it as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the provision of new post-primary schools.

Our school-going population has increased significantly in recent years and is expected to continue to increase over the coming years. It is anticipated that at post-primary level an additional 24,900 pupils will need school places by 2017 with a further 40,800 pupils needing places between 2017 and 2024, based on the Department's statistics.

The figures I have outlined indicate the situation at national level. The challenge for the Department is to establish in which locations the school-going cohort will increase most significantly so that sufficient school accommodation can be put in place to meet demand. The Department is utilising a geographical information system, GIS, for this purpose. The GIS utilises data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the General Register Office and the Department of Social Protection in addition to the Department's own databases and data from the local authorities. The Department has carried out a study of the country to identify where there will be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post primary levels over the coming years.

In June of 2011 the Minister announced that up to 40 new schools are to be established within the next six years to meet our increased demographics. These consist of 20 new primary schools and 20 new post-primary schools. This announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new post-primary school for Dublin 1, 3, 7 or 9. The Minister also announced new arrangements for the recognition and determination of patronage of these new primary and post-primary schools. The new arrangements published by the Department provide a balanced approach to allow applications to be made by prospective patrons for the establishment of schools. The criteria used in deciding patronage of the new schools place a particular emphasis on parental demand for plurality and diversity of patronage.

The Department's forward planning section will continue to monitor enrolments in this area to ensure there is sufficient post-primary school accommodation to meet any projected future demands.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I welcome the progress that has been made in supporting Educate Together at secondary level. Does the Minister of State envisage a review of the number of new schools due to be provided in the next six years to see whether it would be possible for new schools to be included and to ensure the plan remains valid? While I accept demographics plays a key role, it is not just a question of demographics and the Department needs to make choices. There is significant demand in this part of the city for such a school. The total level of demand for second level schools remains unchanged. However, within that demand a big shift is taking place at the moment. I do not say that with any disrespect to or in criticism of the existing second level schools which are doing a great job. However, within the level of demand the Department is tracking by enrolment, a fundamental shift is taking place regarding the kinds of second level schools parents want their children to attend. If the Department recognises that it is right to have within these areas such a large number of Educate Together primary schools, the same logic would dictate there should also be at least one such secondary school available to those parents.

I thank the Minister of State for the answer. I will continue to pursue the point and I would appreciate a response to the two points I have made.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Minister and the officials in the school building unit in preparing to publish the five year capital programme in 2011 carried out considerable and forensic analysis of that likely demographic challenge and where the numbers would create the most pressure in terms of school accommodation. In certain communities that bubble or pressure was occurring at primary level and we have responded to that by putting in place plans to construct primary schools in those areas. In other areas the demographic bubble had moved on to post-primary and again we have responded to that by providing for the construction of schools in those areas between 2011 and 2016. As we come towards the end of that five year period we will carry out a similar analysis to address the next period, one would assume, from 2016 onwards and I understand much of that demographic analysis is under way.

With the very limited resources available to the Department for school construction, the first challenge for Dublin 1, 3, 7 and 9 would be to establish that there is demand for a post-primary school over and above the existing provision. Once that has been established, one would expect the issue of patronage would arise and, as requests for changes in patronage have dictated, there would be a survey of parents in the area to determine the likely patronage of such a school.

My assessment of the response before me would be that we would not decide on the patronage without establishing an actual demographic need for a new post-primary school to service the area driven by population increase. As the Deputy might concede, there are some parts of Dublin city where we are seeing either a levelling off or a reduction of population in some areas. Whether the demographic need would arise for a new post-primary school in the area remains questionable.

The Deputy's other suggestion is that we might divest the patronage of one school in the locality to another patron. He might appreciate the challenges that might arise in such a scenario. At this point, I concede there is a degree of uncertainty over the development of a post-primary school in Dublin 1, 3, 7 or 9. We will certainly continue to engage with community representatives in the area, including the Deputy, and work as best we can to ensure, if and when that demographic challenge arises, we are ready and willing to meet that challenge in terms of school construction. We are also more than willing to engage actively with the community to determine the patronage of such a school.