Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department.

As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department of Education 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, the Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand. Additional provision is made as necessary, where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs.

The Department is aware of pressures at post primary level in the Greystones School Planning Area in part due to the reduction by some schools in the number of first year places being made available for 2024/25. A critical next step is to acquire clarity on the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Greystones, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. The Department is liaising closely with schools to ensure that this data is provided as soon as possible, and once it is received the actual requirement for places can be established. The Department is already having discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities regarding potential solutions but the understanding of the actual school place needs will give clarity as to the specific actions that are required.

This close engagement with schools and patrons will also allow the Department to identify particular further capacity requirements for the forthcoming years and put any required solutions in place - beyond those that are already in train - to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.

In line with the Department's demographic projections of post primary school place requirements there has been a continued growth in enrolments in Greystones. In response to the projections of school place needs in Greystones, the Department is providing significant additional post primary capacity, including a new 1,000 pupil school building for Greystones Community College. Greystones Community College was established in 2020 as a regional solution for the Kilcoole and Greystones area. The project to deliver this new school building is at Stage 3, Tender Stage.

In addition to the above project, the Department has recently delivered a major building project to expand St. David’s Secondary School and is also progressing a building project for Temple Carrig School in Greystones under the National Development Plan. St. David’s Secondary School is a co-educational school and a major building project to deliver state of the art, modern school accommodation for 750 pupils was provided at this school.

Temple Carrig Secondary School Greystones is also a co-educational school and it was established in 2014. There is a project underway to provide accommodation at this school for 1,000 pupils, which is currently at Stage 1, preliminary design stage. A project for 4 Modular mainstream classrooms has also been approved. These classrooms are now on site and the project is nearing completion.

In addition, there is the existing school in the adjacent Kilcoole School Planning Area, Coláiste Craobh Abhann, for which there is a major project approved to expand the school to 1,000 pupils. This project is currently at Stage 2b and is being delivered by the National Development Finance Agency.

I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Greystones for the 2024/25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children in the Greystones School Planning Area will receive a first year place.