Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware that many areas located within close proximity to Dublin, similar to those referred to by the Deputy, continue to experience population growth, a position that almost inevitably places some strain on existing educational provision.

In order to proactively plan for such areas of increased growth, 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 so as to ensure, as far as possible, the timely delivery of the required education infrastructure.

The primary schools in Kill, Johnstown and Sallins are in the catchment area of Naas for post-primary purposes. In Naas at post primary level, the management authority of St. Patrick's Post Primary School, Co. Kildare V.E.C., is currently progressing plans to re-locate the school and extend capacity to 1000 pupil places.

Additionally, an extension project is completed at St. Mary's College, Naas which increases capacity at the school to 900 pupils. A similar extension was recently completed at Meanscoil Iognaid Rís, Naas and a further extension at the school is currently in architectural planning.