Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator O'Donnell for raising the matter of these two schools. He has outlined a great deal of the relevant information himself. A demographic assessment was published in 2015 and at that stage nine new schools were announced to be opened in 2017 and 2018, including two in Limerick. One was announced for 2017 for Limerick city and its south-west area at Mungret and the other for 2018 serving the Limerick city environs to the east, including Castletroy. Each school will provide approximately 600 post-primary places to add to the provision.

As the Senator said, we invited applications for patronage in April with a closing date of 8 June. Parental preferences for each patron together with the extent of diversity currently available in the area will be the key to decisions made in the process. We seek to ensure that there is diversity in the offer looking at what is already available in the area and then parental preferences. In this regard, prospective patrons were requested to submit with their applications a parental preference template in which parents had been requested to indicate a preference for their children to be educated through that patron's school model and also whether the preference was for instruction through the medium of Irish or English. The closing date was 8 June. I do not have the full list of patrons that have submitted their applications although I am sure I could provide that for the Senator. The system is that applications from the prospective patrons are now being assessed and an assessment report will be prepared for the consideration of the new schools establishment group. The group, which is independent, adjudicates on applications. It will submit a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. I will announce the patronage of the school following the completion of this process. The patronage assessment report will be published on my Department's website.

The Senator raised an issue as to the catchment within which the assessment of parental preference occurs. My understanding is that it is the planning area as defined by the Department. These are broad areas of which are 310 throughout the country. Any parent within that catchment is generally assessed. I note the Senator's concern that the views of people in the immediate area must be taken into account. Obviously, they will be. However, my understanding is that no greater weighting is afforded to someone in the immediate parish as opposed to someone in the next parish as long as he or she is within the planning area. Those who live outside the planning area do not have their views taken into account. I have seen cases where patrons in their enthusiasm have gone way beyond the planning area and collected parental preferences which are not taken into account. It is strictly based on the preference of those living in the area specified when the call for patronage was made. It is done in accordance with the invitation.

Regarding the accommodation of the schools, my Department works closely with local authorities under the memorandum of understanding on school site acquisitions to identify suitable sites for school development. Work on the acquisition of permanent sites for the schools is under way. Subject to the necessary statutory approvals, it is my Department's intention to acquire land at Mungret which is currently in the ownership of Limerick City and County Council for the purpose of providing permanent accommodation for the new post-primary school to serve the Limerick city and environs south west area. My officials are liaising with officials in the local authority to progress this site acquisition. With respect to the new post-primary school to serve Limerick City and environs east area, my Department has requested Limerick City and County Council to assist under the memorandum of understanding with the identification and procurement of a suitable property to serve as the permanent location for the school. Officials from the local authority have identified a number of potential site options and these are now being assessed technically to establish their suitability. Once the assessment phase is completed, it is anticipated that negotiations with the relevant landowner will commence.

Major construction projects to provide the buildings for the two post-primary sites in Limerick are included in my Department's six-year construction programme scheduled to proceed to tender and construction in 2018 and 2019 to 2021, respectively. We are proceeding with due haste on this.