Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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219. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of places made available, by ethos that is, Catholic, Church of Ireland or multi-denominational, in first year in secondary schools in the Dublin 8 SPA in each of the years 2016 to 2022, in tabular form. [43990/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, 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 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area.

There are five post-primary schools within the school planning area for Dublin 8:

•CBS Synge Street

•St Patrick's Cathedral Grammar School

•CBS James Street

•Mercy Secondary School

•Presentation College

In relation to places for 2024 at 1st year level - the annual admissions notice for each of the schools in the school planning area is available on the individual school website. Below are the details of each of these admissions notice.

My Department does not hold data on the number of places made available by schools in previous years, however the below table indicates actual enrolments for the years 2016-2022 in Dublin 8.

As the Deputy will be aware, for planning purposes my Department divides the country into 314 School Planning Areas. While this is very useful at a national level, in dense urban areas such as Dublin City it is necessary for the Department to take a broader perspective in the assessment of school accommodation requirements, particularly at post primary level. In city areas there can be a high degree of inward and outward mobility of children between School Planning Areas, often linked with public transport and active travel routes, and parents are free to apply to enrol their children in any school, whether that is in the School Planning Area in which they reside or not. The Department's Geographical Information System (GIS) is a critical tool in the planning for schools it facilitates assessment of school accommodation needs across an geographic area, not limited to school planning area boundaries. As an example, by taking two points within Dublin 8: one on the eastern side and one on the western side, there is a total of 18 post primary schools within 3km of either point.

In the context of the Deputy's requests regarding Dublin 8 specifically, the published schools' enrolment data for the 2022/23 academic year reported 1,147 enrolments in post primary schools in the Dublin 8 School Planning Area. The historic maximum enrolment since 2011 in this School Planning Area was 1,361.

The enrolments for 6^thclass at schools in Dublin_8 SPA for 2022 was 430. The intake level at Post Primary for Dublin_8 is 55% - the intake pattern shows the percentage of children attending 6^thclass in primary schools in this SPA that enrolled in 1^styear in a Post Primary in the SPA in the previous 2 years. 62% of First years attended primary school within the SPA. This indicates a 38% enrolment of children at post primary school in Dublin 8 who attended primary school outside the SPA.

In information provided to my Department by schools, there were 28 unfilled first year places in 2022/23 at post primary level in Dublin_8 SPA. These places were at schools of Catholic ethos. Of the 18 schools in the wider (3km) areas, schools indicated a total of 169 unfilled first year places in 2022/23. This included 60 places in multi-denominational provision. All assessments by my Department of additional school accommodation needs in any area take into account such available capacity.

Additionally, a new co-educational, multi-denominational school under the patronage of Educate Together, Harold's Cross ETSS, was established to serve the Dublin_6W and Dublin6_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. As this new school grows and expands its available first year places it will provide additional post primary capacity for families in Dublin 8. While that school is required to prioritise enrolments within the School Planning Areas it was established to serve, there is already a trend of children who attended primary school in Dublin 8 enrolling in this school.

As previously indicated, my Department will continue to keep school place needs in Dublin 8 and south Dublin City generally, as well as other areas across the country, under review.