Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has conducted a particular study of the demographic needs of the east Meath, north Dublin and south Louth region to establish the necessity of new secondary schooling; and when it is envisaged that new secondary schools will be required to be provided in the region. [28314/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In identifying the requirement for additional school places, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and information from my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and at post-primary level.

Following the 2015 demographic analyses, 13 new schools will open in 2017 and 2018 to cater for increased demographic needs nationwide, including four primary and nine post-primary schools. Two of these new post-primary schools will serve the North Dublin areas of Malahide/Portmarnock and Swords.

As with other school planning areas nationwide, the demographic data for the areas outlined by the Deputy are being kept under ongoing review by my Department to take account of updated child benefit data and updated enrolment data and also the impact of ongoing and planned capacity increases in these and adjoining school planning areas.