Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister of State for being here to answer this question. I wish to raise the issue of an additional accommodation scheme application from Ballinora National School in County Cork. I previously submitted parliamentary questions on this issue and the responses indicated that a decision was awaited. I understand that a positive decision has been issued to the school that funding will be made available. The question now relates to the timing of this. We are now in the month of May and need to have this ready for the new school year. The school community, parents and school management are very concerned about the time available to them to get this up and running, to secure temporary accommodation and so on. I ask that every effort be made by the Department to ensure that the school will be assisted in ensuring that it can have this additional accommodation for the new school term. This essentially will allow the school to have a second junior infant class. The demand is there. As a public representative, I have had a lot of parents contact me who are deeply concerned about the uncertainty relating to the provision of this second class. They need to be sure that they can send their child to this particular school in their local community, which is what they want to do. Unfortunately, the decision from the Department was slow in coming. When it did come it was very welcome but there is huge concern about timing and the ability to make this happen for the new school term. I seek reassurance from the Minister of State that every effort will be made by the Department to work with the school to ensure that this will be up and running so that parents, school management, staff and the principal can have a degree of certainty. I will not use all of the time allotted but would appreciate whatever level of assurance the Minister of State can give on this.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for the question and for giving me the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth and to outline how the Department is working to ensure that there is appropriate school accommodation in place to meet the school place needs of all children. I stress that enabling students to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for the Government. To plan for school place needs, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a geographical information system, GIS, 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.

While the Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, 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: duplication of applications, school of choice, single sex schools and external draw. Notwithstanding the aforementioned issues, in some areas demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through the utilisation of existing unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools, or the provision of a new school or schools. The expansion of existing schools is typically delivered by means of the Department's additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme. It is open to all school authorities to make an application for additional accommodation through the ASA which is available at www.gov.ie.

Since 2020, the Department has invested more than €5.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 1,350 school building projects. Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in the coming months, investments by the Department are adding in excess of 610,000 sq. m of new and modernised capacity to the school estate. This is a record level of investment in schools. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country. The programme for Government recognises the importance of strong capital investment in the school building programme and supporting this with enhanced allocations through the national development plan process.

With regard to the school referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that the Department of Education and Youth received an application under the ASA scheme for temporary accommodation for the upcoming school year. The assessment of the school's ASA application is complete. I can confirm that departmental officials have engaged with the school in recent days and have approved temporary accommodation to facilitate the intake of a second junior infant class at the school. This engagement will continue over the coming weeks with a view to delivering permanent accommodation solutions to the school and its community.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister of State for his response, which I welcome, particularly the section towards the end where confirmation is provided about engagement with the school in the past few days and the positive funding decision for the provision of temporary accommodation. I particularly welcome the commitment to engagement over the coming weeks with the school. It is important that active engagement takes place to ensure that this can be put in place for the coming school term starting at the end of August. That is where the concern lies. I will leave the Minister of State with one request, which is that he relays that concern back to the Department. There will be a need for active engagement to make this happen in time.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Again, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I reassure him that I will convey that concern back to the Minister to ensure that continued engagement takes place. I have no doubt that the Deputy will continue to raise it and engage on it himself too.