Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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In recent weeks I have been contacted by a number of parents who have been driven demented trying to find primary school places for their children who are due to commence their formal education this coming September. The majority of these parents live in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 school planning area. Parents living in the Belmayne, Clongriffin and Parkside estates are experiencing serious problems finding school places and they are sick with worry about it. There are two schools in this area that are central to this problem: Belmayne Educate Together National School and St. Francis of Assisi Primary School. Parents have been told by the schools that they cannot accommodate any more pupils and their children will be put on a waiting list. These parents have also applied to other primary schools in the school planning area as well as schools in adjacent school planning areas and catchment areas, including schools in Portmarnock and Malahide, but to no avail.

There is massive building and construction taking place in this locality.

It is on the northern fringe of Dublin city and borders the administrative area of Fingal County Council. This residential construction is most welcome. Housing for All is certainly delivering in this area but there needs to be adequate planning for the resultant increase in population, and school planning in particular. Parents in the Killester-Raheny-Clontarf and Beaumont-Coolock-Dublin 5 school planning areas have also been in touch with me regarding their difficulties in sourcing school places for their children. This problem also occurred last year. It is clear extra classes are needed in this school planning area for the 2023-24 academic year. As the Minister knows, school admission policies must be open and transparent and, therefore, section 29 appeals are not usually relevant in the cases brought to my attention.

Will the Minister let me know how the Department plans for the provision of adequate school places in a school planning area? I understand it utilises a geographical information system to anticipate school place demand. The Minister stated previously that a lack of accommodation can be driven by a number of factors, such as duplication of applications and school choice issues, including patronage and single-sex versus coeducational considerations. As I said, there is a problem in this school planning area. It has been identified to me at this stage, early in the year. When does the Department decide that additional school places and accommodation are needed? These parents are particularly worried. They are on waiting lists all over the place and are very disappointed they do not have any certainty regarding a school place for their child at this time. Any information the Minister can give in this regard will be greatly appreciated.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out to the House the position with regard to primary school places in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 school planning area for September 2023 and onwards.

As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses, as the Deputy referenced, a geographical information system to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including child benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department’s projections of school place requirements. Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, the Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand.

Where data indicate that additional provision is required at primary or post-primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstance of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following: 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. On the basis of such assessment, significant additional primary capacity is already being delivered in the area, including two recently established new primary schools, namely, the Educate Together national school and Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol. A new 16-classroom school building for the Educate Together national school is almost complete and a project to provide a new eight-classroom school for Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol is at stage 1. There are further projects providing additional capacity at Holy Trinity Senior National School and Scoil Cholmcille Senior National School and a recent project at Howth National School provided four new classrooms. The Department is also providing accommodation for children with special educational needs at schools in the area, including at the two new schools, and as part of projects at St. Paul’s Junior National School, St. Kevin’s Junior National School, Scoil Naomh Colmcille and St. Paul’s Senior National School.

While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Dublin 13 area, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors, as previously outlined by the Deputy. There can, in instances, be a duplication of applications where pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools. There is a school of choice issue, where pupils cannot get a place in their preferred school, while there are places in other schools in the town or area identified. Some towns or areas have single-sex schools and while places are available in the school, they are not available to all pupils. There is also external draw, that is, pupils coming from outside the local area.

The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities. This close engagement will allow the Department to identify at an early stage particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years that may necessitate further action to that already in train, including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions. The Department will continue to keep the short-, medium- and long-term requirements for school places in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 school planning area under ongoing review, including through liaison with the local authority in respect of its review of the development and local area plans.

I assure the Deputy the Department will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure there is appropriate provision for all students in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 area for the 2023-24 school year and into the future.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for that comprehensive response. Will the Department specifically contact Belmayne Educate Together National School and St. Francis of Assisi Primary School to ask school authorities about their position on this matter and what they would like the Department to do in respect of their schools? There is a particular local demand in the three estates I mentioned.

I will also ask about the role of Tusla's education support service in securing school places for children under six years of age, with particular reference to the educational welfare service, EWS, and its educational welfare officers. Local educational welfare officers have told parents they have no role to play in respect of children under six years of age, yet in reply to a parliamentary question I submitted to the Minister earlier this month, she stated "the EWS provides guidance and advice to parents of children aged under 6 and over 16 with regard to applications for school places". This needs to be clarified. The EWS could do much more to help parents find school places for their children.

This brings me to the position of parents of children with special educational needs in this school planning area. They face even greater difficulties. The special educational needs organisers attached to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, could do a lot more to assist parents find suitable school places. In this context, will the Minister clarify if section 67 of the school admissions Act has been commenced? This would allow the NCSE to designate a suitable school placement for a young person with special educational needs where local attempts to resolve matters have not been successful. The parents I have spoken to believe this section has not been commenced as yet. I would welcome clarification on this issue as well.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to outline the position regarding primary school demand in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 area. As I outlined, the Department is already providing significant additional primary capacity in the area, on foot of forecasts of school place needs. This includes two recently established new primary schools. While the Department is aware of enrolment pressures in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 area for the 2023-24 school year, it is important to note there can be multiple reasons for enrolment pressures, including duplication of applications for admission.

The Department will continue to engage with relevant school authorities and patrons to monitor school place needs and to identify any required accommodation solutions, over and above those already in train. In any area where there is an identified deficit of school accommodation for the 2023-24 school year, the Department has a project management service and modular accommodation framework in place that will assist in expediting the delivery of required accommodation solutions. The priority of the Department continues to be to ensure that places are available for every student for the next school year, and will continue to engage with patrons and school authorities in this regard.

On the matter of the two specific schools the Deputy raised, I am happy there will be follow-up on that.

The reply outlines significant developments in respect of whether it is the Educate Together national school or Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol. The Educate Together national school is located in a 16-classroom school and the eight-classroom addition to Gaelscoil Ghráinne Mhaol is at stage 1. The further projects providing additional capacity include those relating to Holy Trinity National School, Scoil Cholmcille Senior National School. The project at Holy Trinity National School involved the provision of four new classrooms.

The Deputy specifically referred to children and young people with special education needs. The Department is also providing accommodation for children with additional needs at schools in the area, including, as already outlined, at the two new schools.