Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a study will be undertaken by the commission on school accommodation, for the north Kerry area, including Tralee, Castleisland and Listowel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2590/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The area development plan for the north Kerry area will be published shortly. The plan will cover educational provision in the Tralee, Castleisland and Listowel area factoring in existing education provision in these towns and their environs.

This new model for planning for educational infrastructure is designed to ensure that, in future, school provision will be decided after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, trustees, parents, sponsors of prospective schools and all interested parties from a locality will have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the process.

The process involves the publication of a draft area development plan of which the main components are: details of existing primary and post primary provision; examination of the demographics of the area; commentary on the data; and recommendations for the area into the future.

Following publication of the draft area development plan, the commission on school accommodation will conduct a public engagement process to which all interested parties can make submissions. All of these submissions will be published. The process in each case culminates in the publication of a final area development plan against which all capital funding decisions will be made over the next decade. Final area development plans have been published for the Mountmellick-Mountrath area; the area around the N4 from Leixlip through Kilcock, Enfield, Longwood, Kinnegad and Rochfortbridge to Kilbeggan; and Westport-Newport.