Written answers

Thursday, 30 May 2013

Department of Education and Skills

School Accommodation

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the need for additional accommodation for a school, (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26598/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, there are two schools on this site, a Junior School and a Senior School. Both schools have temporary accommodation, in the ownership of the schools, in addition to their permanent structures and have applied to my Department for replacement permanent buildings. The next step to progressing a building project for the schools involves the appointment of a design team and the commencement of the architectural planning process. School building projects such as this one, that are not included in the 5 year construction programme, will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of further funds being available to my Department in future years.

Information in respect of the current status of all assessed applications for major capital works is available on my Department's website which is updated regularly throughout the year. Funding under my Department's Prefab Replacement Initiative announced in March 2012 was not offered to the schools in question as the initiative was available to schools to replace rented prefabs only. The schools were not considered for devolved grants as the proposed building project is expected to address the various deficiencies within the school buildings. The schools received a total of €34,900 under my Department's Minor Works Scheme in November 2011. It is open to the schools concerned to prioritise the use of these funds to address works of a capital nature requiring attention.

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update in the way the decision to provide a school (details supplied) in County Dublin was arrived at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26599/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department uses a Geographical Information System to analyse demographic data to determine the areas where additional school accommodation may be required. A variety of sources are used in this analysis, including census data, school enrolment data and child benefit data obtained from the Department of Social Protection. Using this system, up to 2018 a need for some 1,540 additional primary school places has been identified in the area to which the Deputy refers. This equates to an additional 55 classrooms at a pupil teacher ratio of 28:1. The new school referred to by the Deputy is being established to assist in addressing this emerging shortfall and to add to the choice of school type available to parents in the area.

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