Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the pressure on school places in north County Dublin in particular in Swords, Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Portmarnock; if his attention has been further drawn to the need for increased school places in each of the towns at both primary and secondary levels; his plans to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44752/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including the following new primary and post-primary schools to be established in the area referred to by the Deputy as follows:

- A new 8-classroom primary school to serve the Swords school planning area (South) to be established in 2019;

- A new 8-classroom primary school to serve the Swords school planning area (North) to be established in 2019;

- A new 16-classroom primary school to serve the Donabate school planning area to be established in 2020;

- A new 8-classroom primary school to serve the Killester_Raheny_Clontarf school planning area to be established in 2019;

- Two new 16-classroom primary schools to serve the Donaghmede_Howth_D13 school planning area to be established in 2019 and 2021; and

- Two new 1,000 pupil post-primary schools to serve the Donaghmede_Howth_D13 school planning area to be established in 2019 and 2021

In addition, the following post-primary schools were also established in this area in recent years as follows:

- 1,000 pupil post-primary school established in 2013 to serve the Rush & Lusk school planning area;

- 700 pupil post-primary school established in 2014 to serve the Balbriggan school planning area;

- 1,000 pupil post-primary school established in 2018 to serve the Malahide and Portmarnock school planning areas as a regional solution; and

- 1,000 pupil post-primary school established in 2018 to serve the Swords school planning area.

The requirement for new schools will be kept under on-going review and in particular would have regard for the increased roll-out of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040. In addition to the new schools announced, my Department's capital investment programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified.