Written answers
Wednesday, 3 May 2023
Department of Education and Skills
School Patronage
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to expand the provision of co-educational, non-denominational post-primary education in Westport, County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20369/23]
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, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes as there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The 2022 demographic exercise indicates that 85% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2026 compared with 2021. At post-primary level some 74% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2029, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.
Where data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, 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.
A patronage process is run, only after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. The assessment process recognises the desirability of diversity as outlined in Section 10(2) (b) of the Education Act and incorporates analysis of the extent of diversity of existing provision (including Irish-medium) in the area.
The Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been developed by my Department to provide objective information to parents and guardians which will allow them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education.
Parental preferences for each patron, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process. This is also fully consistent with my Department’s obligations under Section 6 (k) of the Act concerning the objective of promoting the language and cultural needs of students having regard to the choices of their parents.
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