Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extra facilities required at a school (details supplied); her plans to meet the schools requirements as set out by the school authorities; when she expects to meet these requests in full; the extent to which she has evaluated the entire primary and second level requirements in the Naas, Sallins and Kill areas having due regard for the rapidly expanding population in the area and the need to enable children receive their education in permanent classrooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40613/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware the new school to which he refers opened in September 2005. The school was given approval to enrol two Junior Infant Classes per year and, when fully occupied, will operate as a two-stream 16-classroom school. This incremental development is common to all newly established schools to ensure that a shortage of accommodation at the school is avoided by an over enrolment in the early stages and crucially, to ensure that the enrolments and staffing levels in other schools in the area, where older pupils would inevitably be drawn, are not adversely affected.

Notwithstanding this position and as an exceptional matter, the school authority has been given approval to enrol three junior infants classes for the 2006/07 school year only, on the grounds that this will not impact negatively on the other schools in question.

Approval has also been given to enrol an additional 40 pupils up the classes that could not obtain places in other schools in the area. Pupils moving into the area in the course of the school year can also enrol in the school on the same basis.

I am aware that Sallins, Naas, and Kill, like many areas located within close proximity to Dublin, continue to experience population growth, a position that almost inevitably places some strain on existing educational provision. However, a range of significant measures has been undertaken by the Department to address the current and future need for pupil places in these areas.

The School Planning Section of the Department will keep the position under review to ensure that any additional emerging needs are met as expeditiously as possible.