Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking this matter. I raise this issue on behalf of parents and residents within Dublin 8 who have a campaign seeking a secondary school in that area. Over the past number of years they undertook professional and fact-based surveys and analysis of the CSO as well as engaging with the community. Their findings are that in the area of Dublin 8 currently there are five secondary schools. That leaves a ratio of provision of secondary school places of 39 children for every one space in a secondary school within the Dublin 8 area. The same analysis conducted for Dublin 4 found there are 13 children for every one space. There is a disproportionate lack of provision for Dublin 8. The population of Dublin 8 has changed considerably over the past number of years. The five schools there are predominantly Roman Catholic or Church of Ireland, despite the fact that 53% of the people living there are of neither denomination. Therefore there is huge demand for having a non-denominational school, be that a Gaelscoil or an Educate Together which is not a Gaelscoil. Either would be fine.

When the Harold's Cross Educate Together was built, Dublin 8 was not deemed to be within that catchment area although proximity-wise it would have been closer than Sandymount Park Educate Together that was found to be in the catchment area. It is taking children up to 90 minutes to get to school at Sandymount Park. The statistics and everything about the situation clearly indicate there is a desperate need for a secondary school within Dublin 8. Sites have been proposed and suggestions put forward. I have engaged with the group. Recently, in a discussion with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in a different context, the Minister reflected that there is a system within the Department of Education that is very good and accurate at looking at the provision and forward planning of secondary schools throughout the country. Somehow that system has failed within Dublin 8. It is not working. Whether the population rise has been so significant, I am not quite sure, but a recent academic publication looked at the disproportionate experience. Comparing urban or inner city areas with rural areas, the chances of a non-denominational school being available are considerably reduced. We should be investing all the more, especially in Dublin 8 with its mixed community. The community there statistically has not attained the same level of third level education and progression to third level education as exhibited elsewhere. This is all the more reason for having one now in order to progress. My Commencement matter is to establish why the Department of Education’s system, which is supposed to be robust, has not picked up on this.If it has, when can we have a meeting with the Minister, Deputy Foley, or an opportunity to progress with officials that the need for the school is established? Then we can have a discussion about what sort of school it is going to be but the need for the school must be established as a matter of urgency.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Seanadóir for raising this issue. The requirement for additional school places is kept under ongoing review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. 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.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through: utilising existing unused capacity within a school; extending the capacity of schools; or the provision of new schools.

The most recent projections for the Dublin 8 school planning area indicate an increase in requirements at primary level up to 2026 and decreasing thereafter. At post-primary level, the recent projections indicate a slight increase in requirements at post-primary level up to 2031 followed by a projected reduction in enrolments thereafter.

A new co-educational, multi-denominational post-primary school under the patronage of Educate Together was established to serve the Dublin 8 school planning area, along with Dublin 2, Dublin 4, Dublin 6 and Clonskeagh areas, as a regional solution. In 2018, the school opened in interim accommodation and the major project, which will provide for a 1,000 pupil school when complete, is currently at stage 3. This new school will reduce pressure on schools in the Dublin 8 school planning area.

The Department will continue to liaise with local authorities in respect of their county development plans and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas, including in Dublin 8.

Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on the Department's website and the information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 may also be viewed.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I am at a loss to know how the statistics and the population levels from the CSO are so at variance with the predictions from the Department of Education because, with all due respect, I would dispute the paragraph of the Minister of State's speech which states that the population is going to reduce from 2031 thereafter. The provision of that school in Sandymount - this is something we need to be clear about - is around the fact that 47% of the households in Dublin 8 have no car compared to an average of 13%. It is not within walking distance of the Dublin 8 area and the bus services there and back take an average of 64 to 90 minutes in travel time. All of that is ridiculous. There should be a greater plan. There is the Dublin Institute of Technology, DIT, campus and it would be an ideal location for a school. A new Educate Together primary school was opened in 2018 which was fantastic. If there was a need for a primary school, there is definitely a need for the follow-on of a secondary school.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Seery Kearney for giving me the opportunity to address this issue. I speak as someone who is not just a Minister of State in the Department but as a Deputy in a constituency where this was an issue a number of years ago, where the demographic projections of the Department did not match what was happening on the ground for various reasons. I believe the Department system has improved immensely since then. If the Senator has specific information on numbers, and if the teachers and principals of the primary schools have specific information which she believes the Department does not have, I ask her to send it in.

Over the past number of years, we have not had situations where children were without school places. It happened on a number of occasions, including twice or three times in my area, but that was a failure of planning. The system has become much more robust and it is better but I ask the Senator to send in whatever she has to the senior Minister and it will be reviewed.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State very much for this time and I thank the Senator for having raised this matter.