Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

288. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a shortfall in primary school places in the Kilcock area, Kildare; her plans to address this; and if she will outline the steps a parent or guardian may take if a school cannot enrol a child at their school due to it being at capacity. [7983/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

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 area in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at, 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 and this information is also updated regularly.

In response to projected future need and to enrolment pressures in the area, there has been significant capital investment by my Department providing additional capacity at primary schools in the Kilcock School Planning area. The Kilcock School Planning Area is served by 9 primary schools and the following projects are ongoing or recently completed:

- A major capital project for St. Joseph’s NS Kilcock (RN 16706G) was recently completed in 2021 - New 16-classroom school building plus SEN - this is located within Kilcock town.

A number of projects are ongoing under our Additional School Accommodation Programme with the following schools within the School Planning Area:

- RN 17821L St Marys, Enfield – currently at Stage 4 - to provide 3 SEN (Special Education Needs) class base

- RN 11976K Scoil Choca Naofa- Additional Accommodation application recently received and currently awaiting additional information.

- RN 18051Q COOLE NS, Kilcock – Stage 4 – 1 x 80m2 Mainstream Classroom (MCR) additionality

- RN 18650P Newbawn NS, Enfield – Project Complete – 4 x 80m2 prefab replacement, 1 x 15m2 Set prefab replacement & 1 x 15m2 SET additional.

- RN 18650P Newbawn NS, Enfield – Stage 2a – 2 SEN class base

- RN 18666H Tiermohan NS – Stage 4 – 3 x 80m2 MCR prefab replacement

- RN 18887A St Joseph’s NS Mulhussey Kilcock – Complete – 1 x 80m2 MCR

There is also a current Additional Accommodation project for RN 19897I Scoil Úi Riada, Kilcock (located within Kilcock town) – Stage 2a – 4 x 80m2 MCR additional, 1 x 15m2 SET additional, 3 x 80m2 prefab replacement & 2 x 15m2 SET replacement. This will allow this school expand to cater for 3-streams (Junior Infants to 6th class - 24-classrooms).

Based on the current demographic information, the projects completed and ongoing within the School Planning Area will be sufficient to cater for the future demand in the area. This will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

289. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options, if any, for a person (details supplied) who has been unable to secure a first year school place for the 2023-2024 academic year, and who has no further applications submitted due to the oversubscription of all secondary schools in the area. [7984/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will 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. Projections of post primary school place requirements are informed by multiple factors, including primary school enrolments in the area and primary to post primary transfer patterns.

My Department's projections of post primary school place requirements in Clondalkin show some continued growth in overall enrolments in the short- to medium-term. However, despite projected overall growth, first year place requirements are anticipated to remain generally stable, or slightly decline.

While my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in Clondalkin, 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 across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.

This close engagement will allow my Department to identify at an early stage 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.