Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she is taking to deal with the acute shortage of class places for children entering primary school, particularly in the greater Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21609/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is aware that there are extensive housing developments and population increases in the greater Dublin area and that this has led to increased demand for school places.

Earlier this year, the Department published a Draft Area Development Plan setting out infrastructural requirements for the foreseeable future for the north Dublin, east Meath and south Louth areas. This Plan covers the areas referred to by the Deputy.

The Commission on School Accommodation has completed a public consultation process on the Draft Plan and it is the Commission's intention to publish a final plan shortly. When this is published, it will become the framework against which capital investment for the areas concerned will be made for the foreseeable future.

The Draft Plan shows that considerable interventions have already been made by the Department to increase pupil places in the areas concerned and that these interventions are being backed up by a significant capital investment programme.

To underpin infrastructural requirements, the Government is investing €4.5 billion in school buildings under the National Development Plan to ensure that school places are available where they are needed. This year alone will see construction work to provide over 700 classrooms in new schools and extensions to existing schools — most of these in the developing areas. When complete, these classrooms will provide modern facilities for over 17,500 pupils. The Department expects this level of activity to continue for the foreseeable future.