Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for taking this Topical Issue debate, which deals with the crisis in the number of secondary school places in Dublin Fingal. The Minister recently paid a visit to Skerries community college in advance of polling in the by-election. There is a more fundamental issue in north Dublin and I am glad of the opportunity to address it with the Minister. We are the fastest growing and youngest constituency in the country and a great deal of work has been done by successive Governments to provide additional places at primary school level, but some of our towns are struggling to provide secondary school places. For the first time in a long while, for example, Malahide community school has a waiting list of people in its catchment area to whom it will not be able to offer places. The same applies at Portmarnock community school. The Minister visited Skerries community college where parents are concerned about places for their sons and daughters. More than 100 people who applied to St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush could not get a place.

There are also issues in Swords and throughout the county. I have tabled a series of parliamentary questions in this regard and the responses I have received from the Department deal with the capital programme and what will happen. While that is fine, and we will keep the pressure on, for 2020 we have a specific issue. To take Portmarnock, for argument's sake, there are issues with the ongoing delay with the extension and refurbishment of the school. There is no additional capacity in Malahide. There was a delay with opening the Malahide-Portmarnock Educate Together secondary school in Kinsealy. It was planned to accommodate 1,000 people but the intake is only 48 pupils a year. We have a very specific issue in north Dublin.

I have spent the past couple of weeks speaking to parents and I know some of them have corresponded with the Minister's office. The lack of alternatives is a real concern and I have not even mentioned Lusk, where there are also issues, about which I have written to the Minister. The Department needs urgently to review the number of students who have not been able to secure a place for September 2020. We have time to rectify the situation. Most of the schools have set a deadline of 2 December for acceptance of offers, and I hope the lists will be worked through, but there is no doubt in my mind that we are still over capacity. As I have said, it is a very particular issue.

Where this matter becomes particularly acute is with regard to students with special needs. One mother emailed me and I have spoken to her. She has applied to nine schools. Her son has autism and requires assistance in school. I know this has come up previously in the Minister's brief. This child is No. 78 on one list, category 10 on another and No. 43 on another list. I know the Minister knows the stress for the parents and students of not knowing whether they will secure a place next year and, in particular, whether they will be able to secure a place with their peers and the children they have grown up with and been with through the primary system.

We need this issue addressed. It is at crisis point in north Dublin. I am sure the Acting Chairman, Deputy Farrell, will also confirm this. The numbers are significant and growing further with the new developments that are happening. There is a real concern that this year is bad but it will get worse year by year. We need to expedite the delivery of the promised schools. Will the Minister in particular look favourably at carrying out a specific review on the Dublin Fingal area to deal with the lack of availability of secondary school places?

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the question. I am aware of the pressures in the area. I reassure the parents who may be listening that we have put specific focus on this issue through the Department in Tullamore. I know the Acting Chairman is very interested in this issue.

The Deputy made a point on doing analysis as part of planning for school provision. We constantly do this. We have a team in this school planning area and it uses geographical information systems and data from a range of sources to identify where the pressure for school places comes from. The Department uses this information and offers a determination on where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. The case the Deputy has raised is with regard to post-primary places.

As the Deputy is aware, in April 2018, the Government announced plans to establish 42 new schools over the four-year period from 2019 to 2022, including five new primary schools and three new post-primary schools in the north County Dublin Fingal area. In addition, four new primary and seven new post-primary schools were established in recent years in the area. The requirement for new schools will be kept under ongoing review and, in particular, will have regard to the increased roll-out of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040. Sometimes it is difficult to make this calculation. Even though planning permission could be sought for 400 houses, it is not say those 400 houses will go in immediately as they could be built on a phased basis. It is a difficult enough exercise in itself, but at the same time communication between the local authority and the Department is very important because it can provide a proper determination.

In addition, the Department's capital programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms. Where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed, there is a fast-track process. At the beginning of this year, Ennis and Ashbourne were faced with a similar situation. The Deputy has pointed out we are at an earlier stage now and this is the time to have this conversation and debate.

When I was in Skerries a couple of weeks ago, I was able to hear first-hand the stories and pressures. In the Dublin Fingal area the Department is particularly aware of the enrolment issues in Skerries for 2020. In this context, the Department is in ongoing direct contact with the patron of Skerries community college in respect of the capacity in the school. Skerries community college has expressed a willingness to increase its long-term projected enrolment to 1,000 pupils. While visiting Skerries, I was able to inform the school that the Department is working on a proposal for a devolved build of three 49 sq. m general classrooms, three 15 sq. m special education teaching rooms and offices, a science laboratory and preparatory area, an art room, toilets and circulation space.

In addition, interim accommodation has been approved for Skerries community college pending the delivery of future accommodation needs. The patron of Skerries community college is tendering for the approved interim accommodation, and it is expected to have all interim accommodation in place for September 2020. While I understand the enrolment situation may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, the Department's main responsibility is to ensure the existing schools in the area can, between them, cater for the demand for school places in September 2020. It is a matter for the board of management as to which selection criteria are included in enrolment policy and in what priority the criteria are applied. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

Schools in the Fingal area can apply for additional accommodation under the Department's additional accommodation scheme if they believe there is a shortfall in their current accommodation. Applications will be assessed by the Department, and if it is found that additional accommodation is required, funding will be provided for a devolved build to the school.

I assure the Deputy and the Acting Chairman that our officials are examining the area and there is engagement with regard to finding solutions. At all times when interim temporary applications are submitted, we are open to prioritising those applications.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his response and I welcome what he has said with regard to Skerries. I hope those moves will deal with the students in Skerries who have not been able to obtain a place. The reason we are here and that we do not have enough capacity is because of delays in delivering schools. Take St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush as an example. The Minister speaks about additional accommodation, but it cannot take any more. A site was supposed to have been acquired but it still has not been acquired and is on the way. This needs to happen. I mentioned the Malahide-Portmarnock Educate Together secondary school, which will accommodate another 1,000 pupils but can only take in 48 students. There is a very specific issue with regard to capacity in our area. As I mentioned to the Minister, it becomes even more acute for children with certain special needs and requirements.

The Minister mentioned that schools can apply for additional accommodation. The Minister visited Portmarnock community school, just in advance of the by-election, coincidentally. I believe the Taoiseach was also there. The school has been promised an extension and refurbishment for years. It cannot take any more pupils and could not take additional temporary accommodation.

The Minister mentioned that the Department's main responsibility is to ensure the existing schools in the area can between them cater for the demand for school places in September 2020. Right now, many of them cannot do so. This is the problem. This evening, there are parents who have no school place secured for their children next year. We have time to fix this. The long-term planning was done and the delivery is where it was let down. We need to make sure there are school places for these students next September. The Minister's reply goes some part of the way and I thank him for it, particularly with regard to Skerries.

It does not deal with Swords, Rush, Lusk, Malahide or Portmarnock. Parents have asked me to raise these specific issues with the Minister directly because we need the intervention of the Department. While I recognise schools can apply for additional accommodation, in many instances they have nowhere to put that additional accommodation, and I referenced St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush in that regard. We had a delay with the delivery of phase two of Lusk community college. That meant we had further delays and a lack of capacity in the area.

I specifically ask the Minister to ask the officials in his Department to look particularly at Dublin Fingal and the towns I have mentioned and to work with the schools to rectify this problem.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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We will continue to give it the focus it needs. It is about ensuring that once we have the information and once we know there are demand issues, we get in early. Engagement from the principals is critical here, and without singling any of those schools in the areas the Deputy mentioned out, I have met the majority of the principals. The Deputy is correct in saying I was in Portmarnock community school but it was not in recent weeks.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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It was.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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That is why I talk about a lack of delivery. The Minister was there a while ago and it still does not have its extension.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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In St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush, I was able to hear first-hand about the pressures and the frustrations with the processes involved in acquiring sites. There are external factors outside of the Department's control. One matter we are committed to as a Department is that where there is extra demand, we try to provide solutions. We have to work towards the long-term and we will put those measures in place, but there are short-term needs now. We are focused on September 2020. We will continue the dialogue with the principals to ensure whatever short-term temporary provision we can bring in fits the needs. I understand some sites, such as St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush, will not have adequate space for additional accommodation, but we have to look at other ways of satisfying that demand. I emphasise again that a lot of the demand can be skewed in some instances. I am not using the example of this area, but in a different area in a different part of the country it was a school of choice and it was skewed because everybody wanted to go to this school. When it was pared back, it became clear that when the duplication of applications was taken away, there were still school places available. I know this is acutely sensitive in terms of the demographics, the increased population and further housing developments. I will keep this on the radar and no doubt the Deputies will keep me on my toes as well.