Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for accommodating post-primary students in Maynooth, County Kildare; if there is scope to expand the current school; if a new site has been purchased; and if so the details of same including the size of site, the location and the cost and the facilities that are intended for the new site; if he is satisfied with the approach being pursued by the vocational education committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15467/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Analysis by my Department of demographic data and enrolment trends in primary schools in the Maynooth catchment area has indicated that a new post-primary school will be required for Maynooth and its environs in the coming years.

The existing post-primary school, which has over 1000 pupils enrolled, is currently housed on a 5 acre site with no room for further expansion.

Following consultation with the Local Authority, County Kildare Vocational Education Committee submitted a proposal to my Department for the purchase of circa 40 acres of land at Mariavilla, Moyglare Road, Maynooth to meet the need for additional educational accommodation in Maynooth. The site was considered to be suitable for the development of a campus for two post-primary school buildings to accommodate the existing Maynooth Post-Primary school and the new post-primary school to be established in the town and, on that basis, my Department approved the proposed acquisition by the VEC of these lands. Due to commercial sensitivities pertaining to site acquisitions generally it is not my Department's policy to provide details of the purchase cost of sites recently acquired as it could jeopardise ongoing site acquisitions.