Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 488: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the crisis that has developed at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 where over 100 children have been refused places to start school in September 2006; her proposals to immediately provide school places for the 8,000 new homes that have recently been built in the Littlepace area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12962/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset, I want to say that I am fully conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result of this, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places, particularly at primary level.

My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. A building project to provide a new building for the particular school to which the Deputy refers was completed in September, 2005. To further increase capacity at the school, my Department approached the board of management in 2005 to discuss the possibility of expanding the school to cater for a four-stream intake at junior infants level. The board agreed to this measure. To facilitate this expansion, my Department purchased additional land adjacent to the school which will enable the construction of an additional 16 classroom school to meet the school's permanent accommodation needs. This new building has a target delivery date of September 2007. In the interim my Department has appointed a consultant architect to oversee the provision of temporary accommodation at the school to meet its immediate needs.

The area in question is also served by an Educate Together national school. A project to provide a new building for this school is underway with a target delivery date also of September 2007. In the interim my Department has arranged that the school will continue to occupy temporary accommodation at Littlepace.

I am confident that a combination of the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the demand for pupil places in the area for the foreseeable future. However, due to the current level of demand emanating from the Dublin 15 area, the need to provide even further school accommodation is under consideration and my Department is engaging with the key school patron authorities that are active in the area.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 489: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the crisis that has developed at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 where up to 100 children have been refused places to start school in September 2006; her proposals to immediately provide school places for the 5,000 new homes that have recently been built in the Diswellstown and Castleknock area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12963/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset, I want to say that I am fully conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result of this, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places, particularly at primary level.

My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand.

The school referred to by the Deputy has recently moved into a new 24 classroom school and this will facilitate an annual three-stream junior infant intake. However, as an exceptional matter the board of management is in discussions with the school planning section of my Department regarding the possibility of enrolling a fourth stream of junior infants this year to cater for increased demand.

In parallel with this, my Department is currently in discussions with a second school in the area regarding the possibility of it expanding to cater for an annual four stream intake. The school currently has an intake of three junior infants classes. A building project to provide permanent accommodation for this level of expansion will be afforded the highest priority.

I am confident that a combination of the measures as outlined will assist in alleviating the demand for pupil places in the area in the short term. However, due to the unabating increase in demand for pupil places, the need to provide even further school accommodation is under active consideration in my Department.