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

The Department is assessing what has been proposed and will be in communication with the school.

In terms of new school identification, that is somewhat different. I mean the Department is then undertaking demographic exercises and considering whether there is an emerging demand that will exceed the capacity of the existing schools and, in that context, should it consider sanctioning a new school. Such a new school would start with junior infants and work its way up as the population emerged.As the Senator knows, the Department is trying to take a longer-term planning view on this occasion, setting out its view of new schools from 2019 through to 2022. It is an attempt by the Department to take a long-term view of needs so it can start to plan for them well ahead. The fact that a new school has been identified as a need in the future does not mean there is an automatic search for new capacity in this particular school. They are not associated issues in the Department's view. The other is a longer-term plan which looks at population and housing developments in the area.

All I can say at this point is that the application, which was made just under six months ago, is being scrutinised and the Department will refer back to the school to respond to what has been put forward and to explore what might be possible.