Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to outline to the House the position relating to post-primary provision in the Lucan area. At the outset it must be made clear that the educational infrastructural needs of the Adamstown strategic development zone, as it develops over time, are separate and distinct from those of the Lucan area and cannot alleviate any current difficulties that may exist in Lucan. The Senator did not suggest they could do that. It may be useful to expound on this statement for the House.

The Planning and Development Act 2000 introduced strategic development zones to facilitate specified development of economic or social importance to the State. The aim of strategic development zones is to create sustainable communities rather than just housing developments. The schemes adopt a holistic approach to development and mixing land usages to ultimately provide amenities, facilities, services and employment and to enable the community to work, shop and recreate locally.

Under the Act, the Government designated 223.5 hectares or between 400 and 500 acres of land at Adamstown to the south west of Lucan as a site for a strategic development zone for residential development. There is a minimum of 8,250 dwelling units and a maximum of 10,150 units permissible in the Adamstown zone. The population of the area is expected to be approximately 26,000. It is expected that this population will yield a demand for approximately 3,000 primary pupil places alone. At post-primary level, the demand is likely to be for a 1,000 pupil place school.

All development within the zone is subject to a schedule of phasing. The purpose of the phasing is to ensure that infrastructure, services, facilities and amenities are provided simultaneously with residential development. To ensure flexibility, the proposed phasing schedule is sequential rather than time specific. There are 13 sequential phases with the first phase being split into two phases and all but the last comprising 800 dwelling units. A post-primary school is required to be delivered as part of phase four of the plan.

The zone plan, as prepared by South Dublin County Council and endorsed by An Bord Pleanála, reserves a total of three separate sites for educational provision. Two separate primary sites, each of 1.2 hectares, are designated and a further primary school is envisaged to be part of a multi-school campus development on a four hectare site. The plan envisages that each of the 1.2 hectare sites can accommodate a school of up to 32 classrooms. On the four hectare site it is envisaged that the site can accommodate a post-primary school of 1,000 students alongside a primary school of 32 classrooms. It is clear from the projected school going population of the zone and from the general principle of sustainability underlying these zones that the planned educational infrastructure for the area is not intended to accommodate pupils from outside the defined zone area.

It is widely acknowledged that Lucan is among one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country. At the 2002 census of population, the population in Lucan Esker had increased by 192% to reach a figure of 21,785. As a result of this huge growth in population, there have been some difficulties in providing school places. Such difficulties have been largely addressed by the Department of Education and Science, which worked with the school authorities in the Lucan area, and by a programme of substantial capital investment in the educational infrastructure of Lucan. Within the past five years a total of €19 million has been invested in providing and upgrading educational provision in Lucan, of which €12 million has been provided at primary level and €7 million at post-primary level. This expansion is set to continue with three new schools due to commence construction this year — two at primary level and one at post-primary level.

As regards post-primary provision specifically, there are four post-primary providers operating in the Lucan area. In total the four schools have a current enrolment of 2,420. Three of the four schools will receive major capital investment this year to significantly boost capacity. Capacity at one of the schools will be increased by 300 pupil places with the completion of a major extension project. A further extension project at a second school will also be completed this year, which will provide an overall capacity of 725 pupil places. This is deemed sufficient to meet demand from pupils in its catchment area. In addition, a project to provide a new building for a developing all-Irish college will proceed to tender and construction later this year. The new building will comprise 4,565 sq. m. It will cater for 600 pupils, which is 400 additional places relative to existing capacity.

A fourth school in the area appears to be at capacity with an enrolment of 827 pupils. While this is a popular school of choice, as the figures demonstrate, there is adequate capacity in the area to cater for overall demand, which is the primary concern of the Department of Education and Science. In addition, four schools in the adjoining areas to Lucan, namely, Palmerstown, Leixlip and Clondalkin have experienced a significant decline in pupil numbers over the past five years. The accommodation, freed up by this decline provides an option in terms of facilitating any further growth in the Lucan area.

On foot of an unprecedented level of recent and continuing investment in schools in the Lucan area, pupil places will be increased by 25% over a period of five to six years. That demonstrates that the Department is tackling the issue of school provision in Lucan in a sustained and comprehensive manner and it will continue to do so into the future.