Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the request from a school (details supplied) in Dublin for additional accommodation; if her Department will explore the possible use and acquisition of the premises of the Central Fisheries Board which is due to become vacant and is adjacent to the school building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33451/06]

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 290: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will give further consideration to the issue of permanent recognition for a school (details supplied) in view of the current school enrolment of 151 pupils and the waiting list of 169; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33452/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together.

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 criteria, 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, as 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.

As already stated, the sourcing of permanent accommodation does not arise until a school receives permanent recognition. However, in relation to the Central Fisheries Board premises, the Department will be discussing the issue of the future use of the property in question with the Office of Public Works to see if it has any potential for development as education infrastructure.