Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the concerns of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9; the basis for her Department's refusal to grant permanent recognition of the school; the criteria applying to that decision; the data her Department relied upon to assess demand for this school; if the school was visited as part of the decision making process; when and by whom; the level of her Department's projected demand for multi-denominational education in this area; the basis for this estimate; if none exists, the reason therefore; when she expects an estimate to be provided; the discussions her Department has had with other Government agencies regarding the securing of a site for this school in one of the soon to be emptied nearby public buildings; if no discussions have taken place, when discussions are planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32554/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers commenced operation in September 2002, with provisional recognition from the Department on the basis that it would be providing multi-denominational education in the Clontarf/Marino/Fairview area of Dublin.

It is a condition of recognition that the Patron must provide suitable accommodation in the stated area which must be capable of meeting the growing needs of the school. Accommodation remains the Patron's responsibility until the Department is in a position to provide permanent accommodation, assuming the school achieves permanent recognition.

In this case, the promoters were unable to find suitable accommodation in the area that it had intended to serve. Instead, it set itself up, as a temporary measure, in a vacated school building in Dublin 9, an area already providing multi-denominational education by two other schools.

Four main areas are examined in determining permanent recognition. These are whether or not:

1. The school is operating under the Rules for National Schools.

2. The school has determined viability in terms of enrolment.

3. The school's accommodation is deemed suitable to meet its needs for the short/medium term or until the Department is in a position to provide permanent accommodation.

4. The school is meeting a need which is not already being met by existing schools.

While the Department accepts that the school in question has satisfied the first two criterion, it is not satisfied that it has met the third and fourth, although the fourth is the overriding issue, given that the area concerned is already served by 2 multi-denominational schools — both of which have permanent recognition and one of which is based in permanent accommodation. Normally, ahead of making new provision of a similar type in an area, the Department, a matter of policy, seeks to maximise existing provision to reduce the burden on the State of resourcing a proliferation of small schools. In the context of the extent of multi-denominational provision in the area concerned, it is incumbent on the Department to strategically examine this provision to determine long term requirements and how these should best be addressed. The Department is carrying out this assessment which will be completed as quickly as possible.

The school was visited by a school inspector in 2003 and 2005. As already stated, the sourcing of permanent accommodation does not arise until a school receives permanent recognition.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received an application for a new primary school (details supplied) in County Offaly; her views on this application; if she will consider it in view of a report previously commissioned by her Department stating a new primary school will be needed in the town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32571/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A Notice of Intention to Apply for the recognition of a new primary school to commence operation next September in the area to which the Deputy refers has been submitted to the New Schools Advisory Committee (NSAC). As with all such applications, a full application must be submitted to the NSAC no later than 31st of January 2007. Following the NSAC's report to me in the matter, I expect to announce my decision in mid-April of 2007.