Written answers

Friday, 16 September 2016

Department of Education and Skills

School Catchment Areas

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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383. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the temporary location for a school (details supplied) is outside the catchment area of the school; the temporary location options which were considered for the school; the length of time he expects the school to be housed on this site; the progress which has been made in finding a site for the building of a permanent structure for the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24452/16]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers is located on a temporary basis in State-owned property off the Clonskeagh Road, adjacent to the Goatstown Stillorgan school planning area. The school, which is a Gaelscoil under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta, opened on 1 September 2016 to help meet the demographic need for additional primary school places in the area.

My Department had examined many temporary accommodation possibilities in the Goatstown and Stillorgan areas for the new school and had liaised with the Education and Training Board and with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, who had assisted my Department in the identification of potential options. Unfortunately, other potential options were not achievable in the timeframe involved. My Department secured a short-term licencing arrangement on part of the property in Clonskeagh to facilitate the start-up school opening in time for the 2016/17 school year. My Department plans that the school will operate from the property on a temporary basis for the 2016/17 school year. If no other suitable temporary accommodation is identified and secured in the Goatstown or Stillorgan areas for the school for its second and third year of operation, the school may continue to operate on a temporary basis from this property for a maximum of three years.

Officials in my Department are working with officials from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council under the MOU in relation to the acquisition process for a suitable permanent site for the school to which the Deputy refers. The acquisition of the site in question is currently being progressed. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time.

The building project for the permanent accommodation for the school is included on my programme of capital investment in schools 2016-2021 to go to construction in 2018.

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