Seanad debates
Thursday, 7 December 2023
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Schools Building Projects
9:30 am
Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. I want to raise the issue of the Blanchardstown west school area, which includes Littlepace, Castaheany, Ongar and Hansfield. Within that is an area that we hope will be developed with up to 1,200 units in the next few years. Blanchardstown west has been a fast-growing area and the strategic development zone, SDZ, which the Minister of State will be familiar with from his time on Fingal County Council, has probably seen among the highest delivery of houses in the country, with approximately 3,000 units being built since 2014. It is an area that has changed much over the past ten years. It will change again with more development on the way. It is very important that we monitor how school places are matching that development.
At present, there are three post-primary schools: Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School, which has capacity for 180 first-year students this year; Pobal Setanta, which is an education and training board, ETB, school that has capacity for 210 first-year students and every year has a waiting list; and a new school, Ériu Community College, which the Department established four years ago. Its total capacity is 800 pupils. Two classes have consistently been coming into Ériu each year.
I want to touch base with the Department on school places in the area. Obviously, at any given time, there will be schools that are more popular than other schools in terms of parental choice. One of the issues with Ériu Community College is that, after four years, it has not been given a permanent site and we do not know where that school is going to end up in the future. That is affecting a third of admissions. When it boils down to people making the decision about whether to send a child to Ériu, a third of parents and students are deciding that not knowing is a reason for them to choose a school elsewhere. Four years is just too long. The catchment area is Blanchardstown west, but it also includes Blanchardstown village. As a result, the school could potentially end up anywhere in the Blanchardstown village and Blanchardstown west area, which is a big consideration for parents when they are making their decision. This is very important. Dublin 15 is interconnected and school places in Blanchardstown affect school places in Carpenterstown and Castleknock.
I also want to ask the Minister of State about Coolmine Community School, which is in Blanchardstown west. There has been a lot of investment in Dublin 15 in recent years, in particular in Pelletstown and Edmund Rice. It is very important that we do not overlook Coolmine Community School - my mother taught there, and I know it is a great school - but I am not seeing the same level of investment that I see in other schools in the area.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. On behalf of the Minister for Education, I will outline the plans for additional post-primary school places in Blanchardstown west. For school planning purposes, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a geographical information system to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including child benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity, is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department's projections of school place requirements.
It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: duplication of applications, where pupils have applied for a place in a number of schools in the area; school of choice, where pupils cannot get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town or area; the fact some towns or areas have single-sex schools and while places are available in the school, they are not available to all pupils; and external draw, where pupils are coming from outside the local area.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available, the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary.This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. This may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, however, the Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all students in the area seeking school places.
Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, the Department makes an assessment of the existing capacity in that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand. Additional provision is made as necessary, where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through utilising existing unused capacity in a school or schools; extending the capacity of a school or schools; or providing a new school or schools.
The Department's projections for post-primary school place requirements in Blanchardstown west are set to peak in the coming years. In anticipation of this demographic growth, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in Blanchardstown west under the national development plan. The most significant project as regards planned additional capacity is a new 1,000-pupil school building for Éiru Community College, which will also provide four classrooms for pupils with special educational needs. The site identification and assessment exercise for Éiru Community College is ongoing. Potential site options have been identified, including publicly-owned property. Nevertheless, the Department is working closely with school authorities, patrons and post-primary management bodies regarding school place needs in the area for the year 2024-25 and future years. This is with a view to identifying any shortfall in places and any required solution beyond those that are already in train. Accordingly, 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. I can assure the Senator that the Department of Education will continue to engage with the relevant schools and patrons in respect of the post-primary school enrolment position and that this is focused on ensuring that the start of the 2024-25 school year operates as smoothly as possible for all schools and their students.
Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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This is the same response I have been getting for three years. The only difference is that Éiru Community College is now a 1,000-pupil school, which is great, instead of an 800-pupil school. We now have fourth year students who started in the Blanchardstown community centre in 2020 and are now sharing a site in Hansfield with Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School. The question everyone wants and needs to know the answer to is where the permanent site be for Éiru Community College will be. This will impact on all the things the Minister of State outlined, such as duplication of applications, parental and student choice and pressures on other schools in the area for the parents and students who want to know where the home of this school will be. It impacts on decisions, as brilliant as the school is, about admissions. It needs to be balanced out.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline the position to the House on post-primary school places in Blanchardstown west. There are currently a number of active projects at post-primary level in the Blanchardstown west school planning area, which will increase local capacity. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040 may be viewed on the Department's website and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may be viewed on the website. I do not have the answer about where the site is for the Senator today. I expect that when that information becomes available, it will be spread widely. I note the Senator's point about investment in Coolmine Community College and I will take it back to the Minister.