Written answers

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Department of Education and Skills

School Enrolments

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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771. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an impact assessment of demand for additional school places across the east County Cork area has been carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1152/22]

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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772. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to capacity issues in primary and secondary schools in east County Cork; her plans to increase capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1153/22]

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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773. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding school building and expansion projects in east County Cork given the ongoing shortage of school places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1154/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 771, 772 and 773 together.

For school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System (GIS) to anticipate school place demand.  Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose.

My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas including school planning areas in East Cork.

However, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place  to a number of schools in the area

- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area

- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils

- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities.  In that context, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, including patrons of schools in East Cork areas, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.

Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands.  It is expected that the enrolment pressures in these, and other areas will reduce in the short-term as such planned additional capacity comes on stream and as demographic demand moves past its peak. 

The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including projects in the school planning areas in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an additional enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.  Details of schools listed on this programme (the Additional Accommodation Scheme) can also be found on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is also updated regularly.

Specifically, in East Cork, there are a number of significant school building projects providing additional capacity at post primary level:

- Carrigtwohill Community College (76333G) is a co-educational post primary school with an enrolment of 383 for the 2020/2021 school year.  A project to provide a permanent school building for 1,000 pupils is currently at Stage 3. 

- St Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill, (62140P) is an all girls post primary school with an enrolment of 792 for the 2020/2021 school year.  A project to facilitate its expansion to cater for 1,000 pupils has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.

- Christian Brothers Secondary School Midleton (62360G) is an all-boys post primary school with an enrolment of 880 pupils for the 2020/21. A project to facilitate its expansion to cater for 1,000 pupils has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.

- St Mary’s High School, Midleton (62380M) is an all girls’ post primary school with an enrolment of 736 pupils for the 2020/2021 school year.  Temporary accommodation to allow the school to cater for 750 pupils has recently been approved and this Department continues to engage with the school patron in respect of the longer-term plan for the school.

- Pobailscoil na Trionóide, Youghal, (91513S) is a co-educational post primary school with an enrolment of 988 pupils for the 2020/2021 school year. A project to facilitate its expansion to cater for 1,200 pupils has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.

- Coláiste Mhuire, Cobh (62180E) is a co-educational school which had an enrolment of 657 pupils for the 2020/2021 school year. A devolved grant has been approved to the school to facilitate its expansion to cater for 700 pupils.

At primary level, there is a significant number of projects providing additional mainstream and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation across East Cork.  The largest of these include:

- Scoil Cliodhna (20442U): A project to deliver a new 24 Classroom school with 3 SEN Classes is currently at Stage 3

- Scoil Mhuire Naofa (18000W): A project to deliver a new 24  Classroom School with 3 SEN Classes is currently at Stage 3

- Scoil Chlochair Mhure (17103E): A project for an extension to provide for 16 classes  + 3 SEN Classes is currently at Stage 1 

My Department will continue to work to advance these and other projects in East Cork and to ensure sufficient mainstream and SEN school places at both primary and post primary level.

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