Written answers
Thursday, 29 June 2023
Department of Education and Skills
School Enrolments
Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to meet the identified need for a secondary school in Dublin 8; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31592/23]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In order to plan for school place needs, 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 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.
While my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, 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
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.
A new co-educational, multi-denominational school under the patronage of Educate Together was established to serve the Dublin 8 school planning area, along with Dublin 2, Dublin 4, Dublin 6, Clonskeagh school planning areas as a regional solution. In 2020 the school opened in interim accommodation and the major project, which will provide for a 1,000 pupil school when complete, is currently at stage 3. This new school will reduce pressure on schools in the Dublin 8 school planning area.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas including in Dublin_8.
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