Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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492. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans for the delivery of new primary and secondary schools in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39157/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System 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. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.

Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand.

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.

Building projects are currently in train in 5 schools in the County Louth school planning area as follows:

- St Ita’s Special School Drogheda RN 18936K– A project to deliver a new school building comprising 20 classroom and associated ancillary accommodation (on a shared campus with St Mary's Special School) is currently at stage 1.

- St. Mary’s Special School RN 19214A– A project to deliver a new school building comprising 17 classrooms with associated ancillary accommodation (on a shared campus with St Ita’s Special School) is currently at stage 1.

- SN Ard Mhuire Marymount RN 19215C– A project to deliver a new school building comprising 24 classrooms with associated ancillary accommodation is currently at stage 2b.

- Ardee ETNS RN 20171P– A project to deliver a new school building comprising 8 mainstream classrooms with associated ancillary accommodation is currently at stage 3.

- Drogheda ETSS RN 68348A– A project to deliver a new 1,000 pupil post primary school with associated ancillary accommodation is currently at stage 1.

The current status of all projects on the Department's school building programme is listed on a county by county basis on www.gov.ieand is updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the various stages.

The Department undertakes regular demographic reviews to identify where school places are needed, taking account of school enrolments, population statistics and planned additional housing. This process is currently underway for 2022 and will have regard to updated information concerning those factors as well as existing capacity in schools.