Written answers

Tuesday, 10 December 2019

Department of Education and Skills

School Patronage

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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223. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made regarding the patronage of the new secondary school in Greystones, County Wicklow which is scheduled to open in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51776/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe 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.

In April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the four years from 2019 to 2022, including a new 800 pupil post-primary school to serve the Kilcoole and Greystones school planning areas as a regional solution to be established in 2021.

As the Deputy may be aware, due to increased projected enrolments and capacity constraints in the area, the school will now open in September 2020.

A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. Parental preferences for each patron, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.

The Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been developed by my Department to provide objective information to parents and guardians which will allow them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education.

The patronage process for new schools is overseen by an external independent advisory group, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). Following their consideration of my Department’s assessment reports, the NSEG will submit a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision.

The Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) closed for parental preferences on the 4th October 2019 for the six post-primary schools to be established in 2020, including the school referred to by the Deputy. It is anticipated that the successful patrons will be announced shortly. The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations will be made available on my Department's website.

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