Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the office of the Cathaoirleach for choosing this Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to the Chamber. I had hoped that the senior Minister might be here but I appreciate that the Deputy is a Minister of State in the Department of Education and I thank her for her attendance here this morning.

The 2022 census showed that the population of Galway county and city was some 277,737 people and that the population of Galway city was 84,414. As those are the 2022 figures, they have increased over the past year so we are already one year out of date. We know from principals across Galway city and county that Clarin College and Presentation College in Athenry are at full capacity. The new school in Claregalway is at capacity and the new Educate Together school is awaiting a permanent site in the Oranmore area. Calasanctius College is at capacity while St. Joseph's Patrician College, known as the Bish, is in the planning system. St. Paul's Secondary School in Oughterard, Salerno Secondary School, Taylor's Hill school and Coláiste Muire Máthair all have waiting lists for this academic year as per a number of weeks ago and the prognosis is that demand will increase again.In the words of one school principal, there will be a chronic shortage of school places next September in Galway. Action and solutions are needed immediately. It is clear there is insufficient capacity within the second level education system in Galway city and its environs.

I raised this a couple of years ago in this House. The response from the Minister of State was that things were fine and there was sufficient capacity. It is clear now that this is not the case and will not be next September. That is worrying because I have dealt over the summer with an increasing number of parents who had children on waiting lists and spoke of the trauma and stress of that for the children and, maybe more so, for the parents. They told stories of children talking of what schools they would go to and certain individuals had no school to go to yet and did not know. It can take months and can be an issue up to the end of August or September. I know of a couple of children, one new to the area and one long-time resident, who did not get a place in Galway this September. They are not receiving an education. They are being homeschooled because there is no place for them in Galway. There is a need for additional capacity, including a new secondary school in the west of the city, such as in Maigh Cuilinn, and a new Gaelcholáiste and new secondary school on the east of the city. Galway’s population will continue to grow, particularly the city, its environs, Maigh Cuilinn, Bearna, Oranmore, Claregalway and all the areas out to Athenry.

This September there were unprecedented challenges in securing places and all schools had waiting lists. The process is not working and there are stressed parents and children. What plans does the Department have to ensure adequate school places are provided next September? What plans does it have to provide additional places in Galway in the short term as the population continues to grow? It is an intolerable situation for parents who are scrambling around and told they are 150th, 90th, 50th or even first on the waiting list and still cannot get in to a chosen school. It is of chronic concern across the city and county. I am concerned about what will happen next September based on the prognosis from school principals.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for his question on providing adequate school places in the county and city of Galway next September. As Minister of State for special education, obtaining appropriate placement for children with special needs is slightly separate to the question but I am aware of the need for that and how forward planning is critical. That is also critical when we talk about mainstream schools.

The Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system to anticipate school demand. It gets information from a range of sources, including child benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity, for this purpose. Having considered the projected requirements in a school planning area, the Department looks at existing capacity within that area. I note what the Senator says around some schools and there being, in his view, a lack of capacity. The Department is mindful of that.

Around Galway county and city and its environs, there are some elements of Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets that help to inform the Department's projections of school place requirements. There are major new residential developments in many school planning areas and they have the potential to alter the demand in that area. As part of the demographic exercises, the Department engages with local authorities to obtain up-to-date information on significant new residential developments in each area. This is critical to ensuring school infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes. There is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.

We are also looking at the continued growth in enrolments in Galway City. The Senator mentioned Galway Educate Together Secondary School, which was established in 2019 to serve the Galway city and Oranmore school planning areas. My Department is also progressing a number of other building projects in Galway city under the national development plan. Aside from the planned project for Galway Educate Together, the most significant projects in terms of planned additional capacity is a new 1,000-pupil school building for St. Joseph’s Patrician College, mentioned by the Senator, which will also provide two classrooms for pupils with special educational needs. That project is currently at stage 2b. Coláiste Muire Máthair also has a project at stage 1 for a proposed 1,000-pupil school, plus four classrooms for pupils with special education needs, which I welcome.

Despite all of that, the Department is aware of pressures at post-primary level in the Galway city school planning area. A critical next step is to acquire clarity on the number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Galway city, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. The Department is liaising closely with schools to ensure that data is provided as soon as possible. Once it is received, the requirement for places can be established. The understanding of the school place needs will give clarity as to the specific actions required in Galway and its environs.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response and welcome the fact the Department is seeking clarity on the number of additional first year places required for 2024. The Minister of State mentioned the school planning areas. The concern I have is that my area of Maigh Cuilinn is included in a school planning area with Indreabhán and An Spidéal, even though the vast majority of students do not attend schools in An Spidéal and Indreabhán, but in Galway city. There are four schools in Maigh Cuilinn. While Scoil Bhaile Nua is a scoil lán-Ghaeilge, so perhaps the majority of its students go on to Irish-speaking secondary schools, the majority of pupils from the other schools go to Galway city. Are they being included? If the Department is not including the other three primary schools in Maigh Cuilinn - Scoil Cholmáin Tuairíní, Scoil Náisiúnta Tulach Uí Chadhain and Scoil Mhuire - in the figures, then the figures are totally inaccurate, which will have knock-on effects in Maigh Cuilinn and across the region for accessibility. This is a serious issue and it is time for the Minister and Department to take it seriously, act and ensure schools get clarity on the provision for next September.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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It is important that every child has a right to education under our Constitution and should have access to an appropriate education. It is something the Department works on daily, particularly where there are pinch points and a growing population.

I note the Senator’s suggestion, which is a good one, around the 314 school planning areas. It is worth the Department reviewing those, whether annually or more than that. I can get that information to him. He mentioned Maigh Cuilinn and other areas. Localities can change, particularly where there is new residential development activity, and that needs to be taken into account.

The Department is seized of this issue and has asked for the enrolment data for first years so it can understand the school places required for September 2024. We want to make sure every child that needs a school place obtains it. The Senator talked of the stress that can be on parents, which I completely understand. They do not want to find out at the last minute that their child has secured a school place; they want to be given as much notice as possible so they can organise the commute and consider whether they need to drive the child or he or she can make his or her own way to school. That is extremely important. I know the Department is aware of this and I will certainly bring the Senator’s comments back to it.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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Before we take the next Commencement matter - this is of particular relevance to the Minister of State - I welcome the students from Our Lady's School in Ballinteer to the Gallery today. I thank them for coming into the Seanad to see us all. They are here as guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond. Their other Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is here so they are getting a double whammy today.