Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I thank the Senator for his gracious and kind comments which are greatly appreciated. He might drop me a note on the issues he has raised because we should engage on what is a genuine undertaking on his part.

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding the provision of new post-primary schools to cater for demographic increases. The Department's most recent statistics indicate that the number of pupils at second level is projected to increase by 24,900 from the current level of circa 317,400 pupils to 342,300 by 2017. The projections indicate that pupil numbers will continue to rise until 2024, when it is expected there will be in the region of 383,000 pupils in the second-level system. That represents an increase of 65,700 pupils over the current levels.

The Department is utilising a geographical information system, GIS, to identify the areas in which there will be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This detailed analysis is now being finalised and action plans are being drawn up for each priority location in order to determine how to meet the additional school accommodation requirements for each area for the next four to five years.

It is within this context that the Minister recently announced that up to 40 new schools are to be established within the next six years, comprising 20 new primary and 20 new post-primary schools. Of the 40 new schools, 17 will be in the Dublin area, with a further 12 in the commuter belt of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth. Six new schools will be established in Cork, three in Galway and one each in Wexford and Cavan. Included in this announcement are new post-primary schools for Navan, Drogheda and Ashbourne, which will greatly enhance second-level provision in the wider area referred to by the Deputy. In addition, the Department recognised a new post-primary school for east Meath, located in Laytown, in 2008-09. The school is currently located in temporary accommodation beside the site on which the permanent new school is under construction. The new permanent school building, which will provide accommodation for 1,000 pupils, is expected to be ready in July 2012. This school caters for children from the east Meath areas of Laytown, Bettystown, Stamullen and Julianstown. I thank the Senator again for raising this matter.