Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in County Cork that have made applications to transfer to a new site for the school. [32231/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that there are 20 schools in County Cork included in my Department's school building programme where the building projects for these schools involves the construction of new school buildings on new sites.

Updates on the current status of these projects is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie and this information is updated regularly.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a secondary school is being considered at a location (details supplied). [32238/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, 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, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

The most recent analysis undertaken by my Department projects that over 60% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level have stable or decreasing projected enrolments for the period to 2024, whereas some 90% of the school planning areas at post-primary level are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2027.

The level of demand volume across school planning areas with an increasing net requirement ranges from small to medium increases that are likely to be accommodated by existing schools through to significant projected growth that may require additional provision. This Department’s most recent projections indicate continued increasing demand for post primary school places in the Midleton_Carrigtwohill school planning area.

Where data indicates that additional provision is required at primary or post primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:

- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

- Provision of a new school or schools.

Following such an analysis, a new post primary school (Carrigtwohill Community College) was established to serve the Midleton_Carrigtwohill school planning area in 2016. My Department currently has no plans to establish an additional new school in this school planning area, however, the requirement for school places will continue to be kept under review, particularly in light of the significant projected future growth in the population of Midleton. In this regard, my officials will continue to liaise with officials in Cork County Council in respect of the draft Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028 (currently at consultation stage), with a view to ensuring appropriate provision for potential future school accommodation needs in all areas of County Cork, including Midleton.

In addition, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.