Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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687. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in responding to the submissions made by the various school authorities promoting the need for a gaelcholáiste in North Kildare, serving Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge, Kilcock and the wider area; when it is expected the proposal might be advanced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34680/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department is in receipt of a submission in relation to the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste for the north Kildare area.

The establishment of any new school is considered in the context of the overall need for additional school places to meet future demographic demands with new schools being advanced in line with an objective process and criteria for determining patronage and medium of instruction.

My Department's five-year construction plan is focused on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. The Department is in the process of concluding a report on the outcome of an exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation will be needed from 2017 onwards. The demographic exercise encompassed all areas of the country, including North Kildare.

I will announce the details of the new post-primary schools to be provided nationwide arising from this exercise shortly. Arrangements will also be made to provide additional post-primary accommodation in existing schools where the demographic demand warrants this.

Where new schools are to be established, my Department runs an open patronage determination process to decide who will operate the schools. It is open to all patrons and prospective patrons to apply under this process.

The Deputy will be aware that a new post-primary school opened in the north Kildare area in September 2014. This school is operating an all-Irish Aonad to supplement all-Irish post-primary provision in the area. 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 to the establishment of an independent Gaelcholáiste. This remains the position.