Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding sanction for an extra class in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27967/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has examined the level of demand for junior infant places in the Swords area and in that regard has also been in contact with the schools concerned. The Deputy will appreciate that in view of constraints on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to meet demographic demand, it is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all schools in catchment areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense or the viability of another school. This may sometimes however result in children not being offered a place in their school of first choice.

In the case of the school in question, whilst this school may be the school of first choice, the Deputy will be aware that there are two other schools with the same Patron as the school referred to, which have lost or are due to lose mainstream teaching posts. These schools have spare accommodation capacity within their buildings and expressed a willingness to accept an additional stream of Junior Infants each. It is my understanding that there has not been sufficient interest in Junior Infant places in the schools with spare capacity to warrant establishing an additional class of junior infants in 2014.

However, it is still the case that a balance must be preserved among all schools in catchment areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense or the viability of another school and in that context my Department is not in a position to sanction an additional stream of junior infants for the school in question.