Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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293. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans in place to build a Gaelscoil secondary school in Castlebar, County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13683/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that 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 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.  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. 

My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas. Where capacity issues 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 there are not available to all pupils

- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

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.

The Castlebar school planning area is served by 3 post primary schools and the following building projects have been completed or are in train to provide further capacity for these schools:

- St. Gerard's College  - an Additional School Accommodation project to provide 4 general classrooms, Construction room and Home-Economics room has been approved. This project is currently at stage 2a of the architectural planning process.

- St Joseph's Secondary School - a building project has recently been completed to provide a total of 7 general classrooms. It is intended that 4 of these new classrooms will meet demographic growth requirements and 3 will replace  existing temporary classrooms.

- Davitt College. It is intended that this school will expand to provide capacity for 1,000 pupils. The project brief is currently being prepared for this project. The school has been approved substantial additional modular accommodation for the 2022/23 school year to cater for immediate needs including SEN facilities pending provision of the permanent extension. The school currently has an enrolment of 772 pupils.

It is expected that the building projects completed and to be undertaken at these schools will cater for the future needs of the Castlebar school planning area without the need for an additional new school entity.