Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the decision to limit enrolment in the new primary school in Cherry Orchard (details supplied) to early education, junior infants and senior infants. [11388/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers is scheduled to open in September 2006. When fully occupied, it will operate as a two stream, 16 classroom school. Normally, a new school only enrols junior infants in its first year of operation to enable it to develop incrementally. This incremental development ensures that a shortage of accommodation at the school is avoided by an over-enrolment in the early stages and, crucially, that the enrolments and staffing levels in other schools in the area, where older pupils would inevitably be drawn, are not adversely affected.

As an exceptional matter in the case in question, however, a decision was taken to allow the school to enrol both junior and senior infants in September 2006. My Department is liaising with the management authority of the school in this regard. This decision was made because of the type of facilities the school is providing. My Department is otherwise satisfied that, in accordance with its remit, the totality of the primary accommodation available in the area provides sufficient places to cater for all those seeking admission.