Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I can hear in his voice his passion for education in Kinsale. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, the Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain up-to-date information on significant new residential developments in each area. This is necessary to ensure that school infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes. Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets also inform the Department's projections of school place requirements. Where demographic data indicate that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided by utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools, or the provision of a new school or schools.

There is one post-primary school, Kinsale Community School, in the Kinsale school planning area. This is a co-educational school catering for boys and girls and serves the post-primary demand in the Kinsale school planning area. The school has a current enrolment of 1,326 pupils for the 2021-22 school year. Current demographic data indicate that the peak enrolment year in the Kinsale school planning area is projected to be in 2024, when it will have 1,393 pupils.Subsequently, enrolments are projected to decrease to 1,225 by 2028.

With regard to meeting the current and future accommodation needs of Kinsale Community School, the Department has approved a significant level of additional accommodation for the school. In March 2021, approval was given for the provision of 12 mainstream classrooms in modular accommodation, procured through the Department's framework, to meet the school's immediate enrolment need. More recently, further accommodation was approved consisting of ten mainstream classrooms, two science laboratories, five specialist rooms, a library, a meeting room, a general purpose room, a five-classroom special educational needs base and various ancillary accommodation, including storage and preparation areas.

Both projects have been devolved to the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools for delivery. It is intended that the school will have capacity to cater for a minimum of 1,350 pupils when the totality of the additional accommodation is provided on the school site. This will then meet the projected post-primary school demand in the Kinsale school planning area for the foreseeable future. The Department, therefore, has no plans to provide a further post-primary school in Kinsale. The requirement, however, for additional school places is kept under ongoing review. Additionally, the Department will continue to liaise with the local authority in respect of its review of the county development plan, with a view to ensuring that any potential long-term school accommodation requirements are anticipated.