Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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360. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which she continues to liaise with the various school authorities in County Kildare and nationwide within whose areas there appears to be an inadequacy of school places in time for the next school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23221/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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362. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in relation to the advancement of plans for all schools at pre-primary, primary and post-primary level in Maynooth, County Kildare in time for the new school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23224/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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364. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in meeting school extension, replacement and additional requirements in respect of pre-primary, primary and post-primary in Naas, County Kildare; the extent to which she expects to update the requirements and the timescale for meeting any such requirements through liaison with the various school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23226/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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365. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in meeting school extension, replacement and additional requirements in respect of pre-primary, primary and post-primary in Clane, County Kildare; the extent to which she expects to update the requirements and the timescale for meeting any such requirements through liaison with the various school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23227/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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367. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which school place requirements and ancillary facilities in Kill, County Kildare may require an update in services given the need to accommodate refugees there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23229/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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368. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the continued extent of her dialogue with school authorities in Prosperous, County Kildare with a view to meeting the need at primary and post-primary levels in the short and medium-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23230/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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370. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which ongoing assessment of the need for school places at primary and second level for Kilcock, County Kildare continues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23232/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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375. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which primary school places at Johnstownbridge, County Kildare continue to be assessed with a view to ensuring that accommodation is sufficient to meet population increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23237/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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377. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which adequate school places remain available to parents and school children at Moyvalley, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23239/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 360, 362, 364, 365, 367, 368, 370, 375 and 377 together.

As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) 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 the Department’s projections of school place requirements.

Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, including the school planning areas referred to in Kildare by the Deputy, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity and identifies any requirement for additional provision.

While my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in Kildare, 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 – where pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area

• School of choice – where pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town or area.

- Some towns or areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils

- External draw – that is, pupils coming from outside the local area

Through engagement with school authorities and patrons, having accounted for factors such as duplication of applications, my Department has established that there is a requirement for increased provision at schools in Kildare.

My officials are leading ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities to put the necessary solutions in place for the 2023/24 and future school years. This includes the use of existing spare capacity, sanctioning of works to existing accommodation, and the accelerated provision of modular accommodation.

The close working relationship between my officials and schools and patrons in these Kildare areas has already resulted in a significant number of additional places being made available. It is expected that these will meet requirements, however my Department is continuing to monitor the situation.

Further to these immediate measures, as the Deputy may be aware, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in Kildare under the National Development Plan. This includes projects at primary and post primary schools, and includes provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs.

These projects include recently completed new school buildings in Maynooth and Naas. Additionally, a number of further new school buildings and extensions are at construction or planned, including in Prosperous, Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Naas and Clane.

In addition to all these developments, the requirement, for extra school places is kept under on-going review. My Department will continue to liaise with the Local Authority in respect of its review of Development Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements.

I can assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Kildare and across the county for the 2023/24 school year and into the future. My Department has established that there is a requirement for additional provision in the area and will ensure that any required accommodation solution is put in place, as well as continuing to advance current ongoing projects.

Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie 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.

With regard to school place requirements in Kill, County Kildare, in response to the ongoing Humanitarian crisis, my Department is working closely with Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) teams whose responsibility is placing children in suitable school accommodation. To facilitate this, my Department has carried out capacity surveys with all schools in the county. Results indicate that there is good capacity available across all standards in schools within a 20 minute drive of Kill, County Kildare.