Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I thank the House for changing this Commencement debate around. It is hard to believe it takes five hours to travel here from my part of the world to this House. I raise the issue of school places in Clonakilty. I raised this issue with the Minister of State nearly 12 months ago. The population in Clonakilty has grown quite significantly since 2016. The census shows an 11.3% increase in the population. We need to see major investment in school places. I speak mainly about what is happening at Clonakilty Community College. The community college is basically at full capacity. We are looking at a scenario where the number of children going to the college is more than 660 and in the Sacred Heart Secondary School there are another 544 places. The issue here is that 156 people looked to go to the college this year. It is a co-educational school but mainly for boys because there is no other option for boys in Clonakilty. Due to that, 33 pupils had no place to go. It created significant hardship for families, the school community and everyone else associated with it.I acknowledge the principal and the board of management for the work they have done on this issue. They have found a way of accommodating nearly every single one. I am nearly sure they will accommodate the three who are left. It is down to the good work of the principal and the board that we are in that scenario.

This is now a matter of making sure we future-proof this problem. I will be before the Minister of State next year debating how we need to have school places for Clonakilty. Thirty kids were not allowed to go to the school, even though they were on the waiting list and all came from feeder schools. When you are on the feeder school system, you are intending and hoping to get a place and then you just do not get that place. However, it mainly affects the boys because the boys cannot go to the convent. They mainly go to the college and, because of that, they have no other option if they do not get a place. They must go outside of the town to places such as Bandon, where there is a significant waiting list and which is miles away from the actual locality. It is a matter of trying to join up all the dots. What will now happen is that 120 kids will go into the school and 100 will leave, and therefore there will be an extra 20 in the school. In the short term, we need modular accommodation to be put in place. That needs to be the first priority and focus of the Government. We need to make sure there is an appropriate PE hall and an Astroturf put in place because they will be building these modular classrooms on the playground.

In the long term, for a town the size of Clonakilty and the growth that is happening there, where the county development plan states there will be a predicted 1,000 more people living in the town by 2028, we need to have a significant look at how we will accommodate these kids because they will all need to school. The knock-on implications of the bad planning is the issue now. We need a short-term plan for modular accommodation put in place, but we also need to start talking about where we will put an extension or even another school for the Clonakilty area. Clonakilty is a huge catchment. It takes in places like Ring. I mentioned Ring and Darrary, where people had no option. They could go to Clonakilty. Bandon was miles away from them and Dunmanway was on the other side of the mountain, so it just would not make sense. These schools depend on Clonakilty having capacity to take in the kids. Unfortunately, however, there is a capacity issue. They have taken in the 120 and we now need to see a system put in place whereby they can be accommodated going forward, particularly for the next three years, from now until first class, because figures show there is a huge spike in the student population in Clonakilty. It is a serious issue that needs to be addressed in a short space of time.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lombard for raising this very important matter. It provides the Minister for Education with an opportunity to outline a response. The Minister is at Cabinet today and was unable to attend to respond to the Senator’s Commencement matter.

For school planning purposes the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, GIS, to anticipate school place demand. Information systems from a range of sources, including child benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity, are used for this purpose. Additionally, there is Project Ireland 2040’s population and housing targets from the Department's projections school place requirements. Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, the Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand. Additionally, provision is also made where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs.

The Department is aware of pressures at post-primary level in the Clonakilty school planning area and of a significant volume of applications for admissions across the two post-primary schools. These applications include some duplications where families have applied to both schools for a school place, as they are entitled to do. In that context, 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. For that purpose, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Clonakilty, were requested to share data on applications for admissions. Both post-primary schools in Clonakilty were very prompt in returning their requested information, and the Department is currently analysing the data with a view to establishing the actual requirement for school places and any required specific actions as soon as possible.To further inform our planning school management process, school management bodies are assisting with a detailed analysis of school capacity in a number of areas, taking account of school-specific factors, such as current class groupings and subject offerings.

The analysis of all available information and close engagement with schools, patrons and management bodies will ensure that the real need for school places is fully understood and the optimum solutions can be identified. The continued close engagement with schools and patrons will also allow the Department to identify particular further capacity requirements for the forthcoming years and to put any required solutions in place, beyond those already in train, to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in this area.

In addition, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in the Clonakilty school planning area under the national development plan. This includes projects at post-primary schools and includes provision for mainstream accommodation, as well as for children with special educational needs. These projects include a recently completed extension for Clonakilty Community College. Additionally, a significant extension for Sacred Heart Secondary School has been approved and is currently at stage 1.

I assure the Senator that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure appropriate provision for all students across the schools in Clonakilty for the 2024-25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all the children in Clonakilty will receive a school place. The priority for the Department of Education is to ensure that places are available for all children for the next school year. Officials will continue to engage with patrons and school authorities in this regard. I expect further clarity will be provided to families and school communities in the coming weeks.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the acknowledgement of what is happening in Clonakilty. This is not rocket science. If 120 kids are coming in and 100 are going out, there is a deficit of places. There is an increase of 20 in the number of kids going to the school. We need a short-term measure to be put in place to ensure these kids will be catered for. That is the first and basic thing.

The census and county development plan show there will be another 1,800 people living in Clonakilty by 2028. What does that mean? It means there will be more kids and that more capacity will be required. What is really needed is a plan for the community college. The plan is clear. In the short term, we need to ensure modular accommodation is put in place and the Astroturf for which the college has covered 50% of the cost, needs to be provided to ensure kids have the space required and the option of activity at break times. In the long term, the college will need another extension. There is room, capacity and space at the back of the college.

It will be the same story next year. If not for the good work of the principal and the committee, we would not be in the scenario whereby all kids are being accommodated. There is great frustration - and I thank the Acting Chairperson for allowing me to finish this point - within the community that we have not solved this problem. Parents who are past pupils of the school cannot get their children into it or are having trouble doing so. We need to give people an assurance. This is unusual. Boys in Clonakilty have no other place to go. They cannot go to the convent, so they have to go to this school. It is a coeducational school and spaces are limited. Boys from Clonakilty and the surrounding areas may have to go to Roscarbery, Dunmanway or Bandon in order to attend school. That makes no sense whatsoever.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for outlining the strong case for school places in Clonakilty. As was contained in the response from the Department, it is clear it will ensure that every child has a place in September 2024. The Senator has acknowledged the investment that has already taken place in Clonakilty Community College and has made a significant case for more investment in that key educational facility. We need to talk to the Minister about that. I will raise the Senator's valid concerns and the arguments he has put before the Seanad with the Minister for Education. I also acknowledge that a large-scale project is planned for the Sacred Heart school in the town.

It is important that we future-proof education and see these problems coming. We have a diverse and growing population in this country. We need to cater further for educational needs. I again thank the Senator for raising this matter. I assure him I will bring what he has said to the attention of the Minister for Education.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his time. Everyone is busy coming up to Christmas, and that is very much the case for Ministers of State.