Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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854. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the reduction of an entire class of available spaces at a Gaelscoil (details supplied) in County Kildare; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this situation has arisen in part because of the lack of forward planning to take into account the demand for Gaelscoil education in the area; her plans to initiate an immediate assessment of need with a view to catering for this high demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1687/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Department is in contact with the school Patron relating to enrolments in the primary schools in the area to which the Deputy refers, including the gaelscoil in question.

The Department understands that the Patron is consulting directly with the schools involved in relation to the enrolment matters being raised. The Department will continue to liaise with the Patron, who has ultimate responsibility for the governance and management of the schools.

My Department's current five-year construction plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to accommodate increasing pupil numbers.

Therefore, the establishment of any new school, or the extension of any existing school, is considered in the context of the overall need for additional school places to meet future demographic demands. This may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic review to determine where additional primary school places might be needed from 2015 onwards. On foot of this review, it has been determined that there is sufficient educational infrastructure in the area to which the Deputy refers to meet its demographic needs.