Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I was due to speak on the need for an additional class between the three schools on Green Lane in Leixlip. Those three schools are Scoil Bhríde, Scoil Mhuire and Scoil Eoin Phóil. I attended Scoil Eoin Phóil. There is a requirement for an extra class, but I am delighted to say that this morning we finally received the good news that it has been delivered. Obviously, I had put in for this speaking slot and I still wish to speak to the matter.

I am thankful to the parents who raised this issue with me, as well as to the principals who worked with me in the past number of months. This was an issue for parents. It has caused major concern because there is a lack of school places in the Leixlip area. Parents want their children to attend school in their parish, but in excess of 20 parents had not been able to get places for their children. As I said, there was real concern for those children, especially given that some of their siblings already attend the local school. It was a serious, live issue. I thank the three school principals, Anita Clarke, Seán O’Boyle and Áine Crotty, who liaised with me continually over the past number of months. They indicated to me that they wanted to get behind this to provide the extra places. Obviously, we had to convince the Department of the need for the class. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, was amazing throughout the process. She and her team kept going back and forth. I needed to explain to them the importance of delivering this extra school class in our parish. In fairness, it worked and the classroom has been delivered. That group of children will be able to go to school along with their siblings and friends.

This speaks to the wider issue we have in north Kildare and in the Minister of State’s constituency of Dublin West, the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach’s constituency of Wicklow, Deputy Tóibín’s area of south Meath and Wexford town, where Deputy Lawlor is from. There are big population increases in these areas and there is a need for increased school provision. There is an increased demand for Gaelscoileanna, which is hugely important for all our towns and villages. We have demand in our secondary schools. We have a need for secondary school places. We also have a need for extra special education classes. I know this is not hard but they need to be dealt with. We must have a focus on this area.

Every few years, we carry out a census. Every year, we see new numbers coming into the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. We need to be analysing those numbers clearly and in a qualitative way so we know where issues will arise in individual towns. Growing up in the expanding town of Leixlip in late eighties and the nineties, there was real growth in the area in which we went to school. As that boom declined, the numbers decreased but we are now seeing another housing boom coming back and those numbers are changing. We need to be alive to those changes. We must build for the future. All of these issues are real for the people who live in these communities.

The idea of a parent with one or two children in a certain school having to ultimately put another child in the car for an extra 15 to 20 minutes depending on traffic – we all know how bad traffic can be in north Kildare – is just not tolerable. That was a real concern. I am happy that I have been able to speak and receive text messages from a number of parents today who are so relieved and delighted. I thank them for their forbearance. I also thank the principals for their work. I thank the Department for seeing sense in this proposal and making the right decision. I thank the Minister for her decision as well.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta. I congratulate Deputy Neville and the school communities. I know that he attended one of the schools. I am sure this is a big day for both he Deputy and the school communities. I thank him for raising this issue and for his strong and consistent advocacy on behalf of families in Leixlip. I know he worked very closely with the school community on this issue. His engagement and that of the school community with the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, both on the ground locally and in the House, has been important. I compliment Deputy Neville on his hard work because he has been instrumental in bringing this matter to a positive outcome.

Providing school places for every child, including those with additional needs, is a top priority for the Government. While we are seeing a general decline in enrolments nationally, we know that growing communities like Leixlip are facing real and immediate pressures. Behind every statistic are families who simply want a place for their child in a local school. While the Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area and school-of-choice factors.

In Leixlip, there has been particular pressure for junior infant places for September 2026. Department officials have been working closely with local schools, analysing the data and responding directly to the concerns raised by parents and the Deputy. Today, I am pleased to confirm a clear and practical step forward. Following direct engagement with Scoil Mhuire on Green Lane, the Department of education has, as the Deputy outlined, now approved the opening of a second junior infant class. This additional class will be in place for September 2026 to accommodate local children.

I am sure the Deputy will agree that this is a real and tangible outcome that will make a difference for families in the area. It will mean more local children will now have access to a place in their community. While places are available across the wider Leixlip area, we recognise that families want to stay local, wherever possible. That is why targeted, local actions like this matter.

The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. For planning purposes, the Department examines urban areas as a whole and does not recognise parish boundaries in the review. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and, where the school has places available, the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection and enrolment processes must be non-discriminatory and 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.

In accordance with the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, schools are required to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools. It is an important feature of the act that schools can only make a decision on an application for admission that is based on the school’s admission policy.

I am pleased to be putting positive news on the record of the House today. I again thank the Deputy and the local school community in Leixlip who have engaged in a constructive and successful campaign.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is not often that I table a Topical Issue and get the win on the same day. This is a matter I have been raising for a number of months.

As already stated, this is a very positive situation. What has happened speaks to the work of Department in this case. The Minister of State stated that a specific issue can be targeted. I was conscious of the potential for the Department to look organically at this from a high level as opposed to looking at parish boundaries, different clubs and roads and what areas gravitate towards their own areas. Children want to go to school with the other kids who live on their roads.

We have a Gaelscoil and an Educate Together in our area. The Green Lane schools all have a Catholic ethos. Each one offers different things. Ultimately, people want their children to have the opportunity to go to school with other children on their roads and, most importantly, with the children in their homes, namely their older brothers or sisters who are already going to particular schools. In this instance, that would not have been possible until the decision made today. That is why I was quite passionate about this issue, why I liaised, as much as I could, with the schools and the parents involved in respect of it and, ultimately, why I raised it in the Dáil. I also spoke at meetings and raised the issue with the Department.

As I said, in this case, the issue has been resolved. There is a wider issue regarding north Kildare and other areas that have difficulties. I am sure parents in Celbridge, Naas and Kilcock have real concerns about waiting lists for primary and secondary schools. Ultimately, we have a group of families who are delighted. As I said, I am sure other families might be in a position where they are still awaiting decisions. As I said, this is a new good news story for the Green Lanes schools and I am glad to be in a position to have that news.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for outlining the steps he has taken and the positive and proactive engagement he has had with the Minister for Education and Youth and departmental officials and the collaborative way in which he has worked with the school community. That matters and doing that work matters. It is hard and tough work, but as the Deputy can see it gets results. It has got results in this instance.

The message here is very simple. The Government has listened, engaged and delivered. A new junior infant class has now been approved for Scoil Mhuire. Critically, that class will be ready for September of this year. The Deputy mentioned other schools in similar situations. The annual enrolment process for new junior infants at primary level and new first years at post-primary level is a large-scale operation. It is transacted with close to 4,000 schools across the country involving 140,000 pupils. In order to plan for school places and need, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a geographical information system to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including child benefit data, school enrolment data and data on residential development activities is used for this purpose. In addition, the Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department's projection of school place requirements.

The Deputy mentioned constituents in Celbridge and other areas. It is important that they are aware that the Department is looking at this from a holistic perspective and is making sure that the Department is able to provide classes, classrooms and schools where demand exists. Scoil Mhuire and the Green Lane schools very clearly demonstrated that the demand is there, and the Department responded accordingly.