Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the accommodation levels in a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; the number of classrooms; its current enrolment; the latest figure for applicants to the school; if the school has applied for an urgent extension of its accommodation; if he will agree to granting an extension of accommodation at the school in view of the increase in demand for spaces and the expected further increase in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9966/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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It is expected that the school to which the Deputy refers can accommodate approximately 600 pupils. The enrolment return from the school in September 2013 indicated that there were 572 pupils enrolled at that time. The Department does not hold information on applicant levels in schools. I can confirm that the school has not applied for additional accommodation to my Department and I understand that it has no plans to expand its current capacity at this time.

As I advised the Deputy in my response to her Parliamentary Question on 29th January last, a new post primary school will open in September 2014, Maynooth Community College, which will assist in servicing enrolment demand in North Kildare. The announcement included the provision of an Aonad in the Maynooth school. In addition, my Department has confirmed, that if sufficient demand for education through the medium of Irish in the Aonad is demonstrated over a four year cycle, consideration will be given by my Department to the establishment of an independent Gaelcholáiste.

My Department has confirmed that the Aonad has capacity to cater for the students in the Kildare area. Kildare and Wicklow ETB is currently progressing the building of a new education campus through the planning process and this will provide permanent accommodation for the school.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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90. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has applied to the buildings unit for an extension to its accommodation; when such an application is likely to be decided upon; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in excess of 90 children have already been refused enrolment in the school for 2014 and that the school has a wider catchment area than just Kilcock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9978/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I can confirm that my Department has received an application from the school, referred to by the Deputy, for funding to facilitate its growth to a third stream, i.e. a 24 classroom school. My Department is currently liaising with the Patron of the school and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities when this process has been finalised.

The Deputy will however appreciate that my Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing school numbers. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of new schools, together with extension projects, in areas where additional demographic need has been established, will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years. The Five Year Construction Plan that I announced in March 2012 is focused on meeting those demographic needs and sets out the school projects that are planned to proceed to construction over the duration of the Plan. My Department's assessment of any application for large scale capital funding will therefore take into account planned provision under the Five Year Plan and clear evidence of substantial pressure for pupils places in all schools serving the area.