Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are guidelines stating the minimum green space requirement for schools; if so, if he will outline same; if not, his plans to create and publish such guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30720/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has published guidelines to assist in the identification and the assessment for suitability of new sites for schools where the procurement of a new site is required. The relevant guidelines are TGD-025 for Primary School site identification and TGD-027 for Post-Primary site identification. All technical guidelines are available on the Department of Education and Skills website.

These guidelines are not intended to be prescriptive and cover a number of technical criteria to be taken into account when appraising the suitability and development potential of a site for a new school relative to other available options. Both documents refer to guidelines for green space provision. However, in higher density urban developments the optimum site area may not be available and green space guidelines are subject to space availability.

Guidelines for site assessments in urban areas are currently being drafted by my Department.