Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a new national school for south Swords area of Fingal will be delivered in temporary accommodation at a location (details supplied) for the commencement of the September 2019 school year; if so, the number of classrooms that will be provided; and if other facilities such as physical education, school bus and special needs unit will be included. [6759/19]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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264. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the planning assessment process will be completed with regard to the delivery of a new national school for an area (details supplied) in County Dublin. [6761/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 264 together.

As the Deputy may be aware, the current focus for my Department is to prioritise the 17 schools due to be established in 2019 so that accommodation solutions can be put in place as soon as possible.

A planning application was lodged on 21 December 2018 for the location referred to by the Deputy. However, following further engagement with the local authority a better accommodation solution has been identified and this is currently being pursued. The application for planning permission at the National Show Centre will be withdrawn.

The school was announced as an 8 classroom school and will open with a single stream junior infant class in September 2019 in suitable interim accommodation.

The patronage process for the new primary schools opening in September 2019 is nearing completion and it is anticipated that the successful patrons will be announced later in February.

Due to their temporary nature, special education needs bases are not provided in start-up school accommodation, they are however, provided as part of the permanent accommodation projects for new schools.

In relation to the issue of school transport generally, the purpose of my Department's Primary School transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school for children who reside remote from their nearest school.

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. Generally children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, having regard to ethos and language.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a district locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment of a school transport service, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.