Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a third stream will be added to the junior infants intake in a school (details supplied); if not, her Department’s plans to accommodate these children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13628/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question. 

My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled in primary or post primary schools. It is open to the school authority in question to make an application under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme, information relating to same is available on .

I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school received approval in 2019 to change their current status of boys-only to fully vertical co-educational.  The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. My Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters with the exception of new schools established since 2011 to meet demographic demand which are required, in the first instance, to prioritise pupil applications from within the designated school planning area(s) which the school was established to serve. 

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.

The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across a number of school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities/patrons.  The Department has been working closely with representatives of schools in Co Kildare to deliver appropriate solutions to provide any required school places, including the provision of necessary accommodation.