Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, to the House once again.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to address this matter relating to secondary school places in south Kildare. I appreciate and respect the fact that he does not represent the Department of Education but I certainly hope that he has some positive messages for us. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue today and it is certainly not for the first time. I have raised this issue a number of times in this House and, indeed, during my time in the Dáil. The key issue is that it is imperative that we have a more co-ordinated approach in allocating secondary school places, particularly in Newbridge and Kildare town.

Towns such as Newbridge and Kildare and other smaller villages in south Kildare - and I have no doubt throughout the country - are continuing to grow and prosper. We are seeing people moving into our towns. We see record numbers of homes being constructed and that is all bringing a very welcome boost to accommodation and to our local economies. However, I have been raising a red flag within the Oireachtas for the past seven years. The rate of growth is far outpacing our infrastructural advances. We are seeing the resources of our towns being maxed out. They continue to grow. The infrastructural deficits are becoming more burdensome for residents, be they issues with traffic and congestion, school places, accessing GPs and road infrastructure. We need issues such as these addressed in building sustainable communities that have adequate resources.In this particular instance, I am talking about schools and secondary schools. I am pleased that the Department of Education and the Minister have listened to my calls. They are responding to the perennial school place shortages in Newbridge and Kildare town. I have spoken to the Minister a number of times to communicate the hurt, the fear, the anger and the stress that has been experienced by students and parents on the ground who were not successful in securing a second-level place in their own communities. I have done my best to represent the people of my community on this really important issue.

It is welcome that after years of waiting and fighting for a new site, a site has been procured at the new Curragh post-primary school at Magee Barracks. I also want to thank the principal, Ms Patricia O'Brien, and the whole school community at St. Conleth’s Community College in Newbridge, for agreeing to take in an additional 30 students next September. However, I understand that when local principals met in late February of this year, it was indicated that at least 80 places were needed for students who need to access places in the area. At a meeting that was held online with principals in the area a number of months ago, the Minister committed that the Department of Education would engage in a process to assess the needs for next September and the following September, in the short term. She committed that everything would be done to ensure that every student who will be leaving sixth class and in primary school this year would have a place in September.

I want to acknowledge the work that has been done to date, as well as the positive engagements. However, I want to know now from the Minister of State, what the process is. Can we expect that every child who is seeking a secondary school place in south Kildare will receive an offer? When will they receive that offer? At this point, and even as late as yesterday, parents have contacted me who do not have a place for their child. It is a really important issue. I look forward to the Minister of State’s response.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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As the Leas-Chathaoirleach correctly said, I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. She sends her apologies for her inability to attend this morning.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter, which provides me with an opportunity to clarify the current position in relation to secondary school places in Kildare. In order to plan for school provision and to analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and it uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including child benefit and school enrolment data. This is to identify where the pressures for school places across the country will arise, as well as where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. Where data indicate that additional provision is required at primary or post-primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case. It may be provided through either one or a combination of the following: utilisation of existing unused capacity within a school or schools; extending the capacity of a school or schools; and the provision of a new school or schools.

As the Senator is aware, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in south Kildare under the national development plan. The most significant project in terms of planned additional capacity is a new 1,000-pupil school building for the Curragh post-primary school, which will also provide four classrooms for pupils with special educational needs. Agreement in principle has been reached on a permanent site for the school. The Department, in conjunction with the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board as school patron, is working to put modular accommodation in place on the site in 2023, which is welcome news. This will provide for significant additional capacity in the area. There are additional projects at Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen, Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, and Ard Scoil Rath Iomgháin, Rathangan. The Department is additionally considering the accommodation needs of Holy Family Secondary School in Newbridge and St. Conleth’s Community College in Newbridge.

Nevertheless, I wish to advise the Senator that the Department of Education is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas, including in south Kildare. However, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation, but may be driven by the following factors. The issue of duplication of applications arises when people have applied for a place in a number of schools in the area, as often happens. The issue of school of choice arises whereby pupils cannot get a place in a preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town or area. Some towns or areas have single-sex schools and, while places are available in the school, they are not available to all pupils. There is also the issue of external draw, which refers to pupils coming from outside the local area. The Department has frequent engagement with the patrons and principals of all the schools in the area, with a view to achieving a clarity on the position in respect of post-primary schools space requirements.

At the Department’s request, and with the support of patrons, schools compared enrolments and waiting lists in order to identify duplication and local requirements. This engagement identified a significant number of schools and waiting lists at a number of schools in the area. However, the Department is aware of available places at St. Conleth’s Community College. The Department is additionally being engaged with Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board in respect to potential solutions. Additional provision should be there for those places to be filled. I can assure the Senator that the Department of Education will continue to work closely with the relevant patrons in respect of the post-primary school enrolment position in south Kildare. This is focused on ensuring the start of the 2022-23 school year operates as smoothly as possible for all the school students.

In conclusion, I want to thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity. I recognise the challenges that are there consistently across the country. The Department takes a proactive stance in trying to address these needs at a local level, in partnership with the schools.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to take this Commencement matter. I would like to emphasise that my question was particularly related to the academic year 2022-23. While I appreciate that the long-term solution is in relation to this new school, as well as in the additional projects at Cross and Passion College and the Patrician Secondary School and Ard Scoil Rath Iomgháin, I am most concerned about this September.

I hope that the Department, while considering the accommodation needs of the Holy Family Secondary School, Newbridge, and St. Conleth’s Community College, will ensure that they happen. At the same time, there is a big concern about this September. I have in my hand a letter that I received on 24 February from the secretary to the Minister for Education, which talks about the fact that the principals met the previous week. It provides clarity on the number of pupils seeking places in the area. The figure was indicated to be over 80. We have a situation where St. Conleth’s Community College and the education and training board have thankfully offered places for 30 children. However, by these figures, it would seem that 50 children will not have a place in September. That is simply not good enough. I would like for the Minister of State to take this message back strongly. I will contact the Minister again.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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As I outlined in the statement, it is important that we look at those areas of duplication where, for a number of reasons, parents might be applying to a number of schools. The Department is working pro-actively with the schools involved to try and address those issues. The figure may not be as high as the Senator proposes here. However, the Minister will take on board the comments the Senator made here this morning and she will try to address these issues. It is critically important, because it can be stressful on parents and on pupils when they do not receive notification from the school of preferred choice. This is something the Department is cognisant of and it will work proactively with the schools involved to try and address these issues.