Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 408: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department monitors residential planning applications in areas where there is a known shortfall in school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21664/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department continually monitors situations regarding demand for primary and post primary schools in areas where there will be a suspected shortfall in school places. Officials from School Planning Section are in regular contact with the Planning Department of local authorities and receive regular updates on housing completions, planning applications, potential infill etc.

My Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans for comment. As a matter of course meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and their possible implications for school provision.