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

122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what, if any, efforts are made by her Department to ensure capital scheme projects keep pace with residential development in the Dublin Mid-West constituency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22542/23]

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

Under Project Ireland 2040, the Department is investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. Over the last 3 years this Government has invested €2.6 billion in school buildings. This is a record level of investment and has helped to add capacity and modernise existing accommodation in schools throughout the country.

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.

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.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

Provision of a new school or schools.

In addition to ongoing demographic analyses, my Department continues to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of potential longer-term requirements for educational provision across the country, through the review of the County Development Plans, preparation of Local Area Plans and other relevant statutory planning processes.

In its submission to the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028, the Department noted the identified projected population growth of over 29,000 for the Dublin Mid-West Constituency area over the plan period and out to 2031.

The Department indicated that this growth has the potential to put significant pressure on school place provision locally at various areas throughout the constituency. The Department was also conscious of a number of factors that could impact on future school capacity; limited expansion capability at current school sites, reduction of future class size, unforeseen future demographic events (e.g. Ukrainian Crisis), intense targeted development at local level. Therefore, the Department took the prudent approach and requested that land be appropriately zoned to aid the expansion of existing school sites and the potential addition of new sites if required.

The Department of Education has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects, and this was achieved again in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. There were over 180 school building projects delivered during 2022 which included accelerated delivery of modular accommodation, responding to increasing prevalence of special education needs, to facilitate additional capacity in special classes and special schools to cater for over 900 children. Circa. 300 school building projects continued in construction at the start of 2023 - the majority of which will be completed over the course of this year and early 2024. In this regard, it is worth noting that there were over 50 new school buildings under construction over the course of 2022. This is providing high quality new and energy efficient modern facilities in schools throughout the country. The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.