Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 442: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria she uses to establish a post primary school in an area; the way the provision of such a school can be initiated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26395/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A new post primary school can be established either under the Department's normal planning processes or by way of an application by a sponsor/patron. With regard to the former, it is the function of School Planning Section to assess the educational infrastructural needs of an area at both primary and post primary level and to plan, in that context, for the establishment of new schools where this is deemed necessary. The process of assessing the need for new or additional facilities entails consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. Apart from this, it is open to a prospective sponsor to apply for the establishment of a new post primary school. In this event, among the criteria used to assess an application are that the needs of students likely to attend the school cannot reasonably be met by existing schools; the Patron is registered with the Department; the proposed enrolment is sufficient to ensure that the school will be viable in the long term; the enrolment will be sufficient to ensure that the school can operate a broad and balanced curriculum; the availability of suitable accommodation for the school; and that the Patron will comply with the rules and regulations governing post primary schools and all relevant Sections of the Education Act, 1998.