Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the primary school situation within the catchment area of the constituency of Dublin west with regard to the number of children seeking places to start primary school in September 2006; the number who currently cannot find places in existing schools; and the actions she will take to ensure that all children have primary school places in their local communities. [19040/06]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action she proposes to take to facilitate children who are being denied places in schools (details supplied) in Dublin 15 due to those other schools being at capacity. [19041/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together.

School Planning Section has been appraised of the situation, by the school management authorities of the first school referred to by Deputy Higgins.

My officials have been informed that the school accepts enrolments from parents in the first three weeks of March each year. The school authority is currently carrying out a comprehensive survey in its area to determine the actual shortfall in Junior Infant places. When the results of this survey are available the Board of Management will make a decision on how best to cater for the actual shortfall in places.

The school authority has been advised by officials in School Planning Section that it has the option to apply for an additional classroom, should it be required, to cater for an additional Junior Infant intake for September 2006.

I understand that parents in the area have been kept informed by the school authorities of these matters.

The School Planning Section of my Department has not been made aware of any particular accommodation difficulties at the second school referred to by the Deputy. The school concerned has a building project nearing completion which will bring the capacity of the school to 32 classrooms.

With regard to the area as a whole, I am conscious that Dublin 15 is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places.

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. All building projects arising from these interventions are awarded a band 1 priority rating under my Departments prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects to ensure that they are delivered as expeditiously as possible.

In the Littlepace/Castaheaney area a new school building has recently been completed at Mary Mother of Hope National School, with an additional project underway with a target delivery date of September 2007. In addition a new primary school campus is planned for a school site in Ongar which will have a minimum of 32 classrooms. Part of this project will provide a permanent accommodation solution for Castaheaney Educate Together National School and also has a target completion date of September, 2007.

In addition to this provision and arising from the recent surge in demand for school places in the Littlepace/Ongar area of Dublin 15, I recently announced the provision of significant additional school places with effect from this coming September. Following discussions with both of the school patron bodies that are already providing places in the area Castaheaney Educate Together NS will take an additional class of junior infants this September and I have also agreed to grant recognition to a new primary school for the area with effect from this coming September under the Patronage of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. My Department had anticipated that a further new school would have been required for September 2007 and that the recognition of a new school could have been processed this autumn within the normal school recognition process. The greater than anticipated population changes in the area means that we cannot wait and therefore I took the exceptional measure of recognising a new school outside the standard process.

I am satisfied that the extra provision under both the patronage of Educate Together and the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin will greatly ease the pressure on school places in the area.

In the Diswellstown area, St. Patrick's National School has recently moved into a new 24 classroom school. This will facilitate an annual 3 stream intake. However, as an exceptional matter the Board of Management has agreed to take a fourth stream of Junior infants this year. In addition to this, the Board of Management of St. Mochta's National School, which currently has an intake of 3 junior infant classes, has agreed to enrol a fourth Junior Infant class for September 2006. An extension project to cater for this development will also attract a Band 1 priority rating.

Other developments in the Dublin 15 area include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's National School in Castleknock and extensions to St. Brigid's Boys and Girls National Schools, Blanchardstown.

In addition, a new Educate Together school opened in Tyrrelstown in September 2005. My Department has approved the provision of six additional classrooms for September 2006 to cater for new enrolments and Special Education Teachers. It is anticipated that this school will enrol three junior infant classes.

I am confident that the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area. 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 in this regard.