Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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90. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the allocation of national school places for the Swords catchment area. [16510/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department is aware of the enrolment issues in the area referred to by the Deputy and is in ongoing direct contact with a number of the primary school in respect of their junior infant capacity.

As the Deputy may be aware, there are 13 primary schools in the area referred to of which 11 schools enrol junior infants: two of the schools are Senior Primary Schools catering for 3^rdto 6^thclass only.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been advised by at least two of the primary schools that they have junior infant places currently available.  A number of schools have also expressed a willingness to offer further junior infant places for September 2017, if necessary.  My Department expect that the position will be further clarified when the schools concerned finalise their enrolments process in the coming weeks. 

While I understand that the enrolment situation may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, my Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that the existing schools in the area can, between them, cater for the demand for Junior Infant places in September 2017.