David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 715: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she intends to take to ensure that there will be sufficient primary school places for children in Carrigtwohill, County Cork in the coming years, in view of the recent increases in population in the area and that this rapid population increase is set to continue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28048/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are two primary school in the Carrigtwohill area — a boys' and a girls' primary school. The Patron of both schools has advised that both boards of management have agreed to amalgamate the schools. In order to determine the accommodation requirements of the amalgamated school the long term projected staffing on which the accommodation needs will be based, has to be determined. Officials in the School Planning Section are engaged in this process at present and will consult with the school authorities before a final determination is made. Factors which will be considered in arriving at the long term projected staffing include current and projected enrolment, demographic trends and the likely impact of ongoing and proposed housing developments in the area.

When this assessment is complete a decision will then be made on how best to provide for the accommodation needs of the amalgamated school. As the Deputy will appreciate, in the interest of obtaining best value for money, my Department must give due consideration to the possibility of utilising one of the existing buildings before pursuing a greenfield site option. In order to inform this decision a technical inspection of both existing school sites and buildings will be undertaken by my Department to establish which, if either, building would be suitable as a host for an amalgamated school.

As part of my Department's ongoing liaison with local authorities in order to plan for educational provision, Cork County Council was requested, in the context of the Special Local Area Plan for Carrigtwohill to reserve a three acre site for a primary school in the area. While there are no immediate plans to acquire a site, it is likely that it will be required for the provision of a primary school in the coming years. The situation is being monitored on an on-going basis, having regard to existing overall provision in the area.

My Department is aware that an association under the auspices of Educate Together is planning to seek recognition for a new multi-denominational school in the area in the coming years. There are established criteria and procedures for groups seeking recognition for new primary schools and any application from the patron body concerned will be considered in that regard.

I am satisfied that adequate primary education provision is being planned for the area over the coming years.