Written answers

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Department of Education and Skills

School Accommodation

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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373. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will recognise the efforts of a school (details supplied) in County Dublin which has agreed to take in a seventh junior infant class to go some way to dealing with the large number of children who did not get places in schools in Swords for this September; and if he will facilitate its funding requirements for a prefab to house the extra class. [13786/14]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department is aware of the proposal submitted by the school referred to by the Deputy to enrol a 7th stream of junior infants from September 2014.

Demographic projections for the area in question indicate a spike in Junior Infant demand this coming September which is expected to level off in 2015, 2016 and beyond. In that regard, my Department has sanctioned additional provision for one school in the area that already has spare accommodation available. In addition, my Department contacted all schools in the area to gather further data in respect of the demand for school places and also discussed the matter with the schools Patron.

There are currently two schools in the area that have lost or are due to lose mainstream teaching posts. These schools have spare capacity within their buildings and have expressed a willingness to accept an additional stream of Junior Infants each, to alleviate any pressure in the area.

In that regard, the Department has advised the school referred to that the 7th stream will not be sanctioned by my Department.

It is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all the schools in catchment areas to ensure one school is not expanding at the expense of the viability of another school. This may sometimes result in children not being offered a place in their school of first choice.

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