Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the delays in the construction plans for the extension to a school (details supplied); the knock-on implications on the shortfall in secondary school places in the wider Greystones area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51705/23]

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 building project for Temple Carrig School in Greystones under the National Development Plan.

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. A Stage 1 report was received by my Department in Q1 2023, this was reviewed and a request for additional information was issued to the school authority. My Department are currently still awaiting this requested information.

As the project is at an early stage, it is not possible to provide a current timeframe for the application of planning permission or the completion of the project.

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 to the above project, a new 1,000 pupil school building project is also underway 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.

The Department has also recently delivered a major building project to expand St. David’s Secondary School. 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.

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.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB).

I am pleased to advise that the project is currently at stage 2a (detailed design) of the architectural design process. The stage 2a report has been received in the Department, and a meeting is scheduled to take place between my Department's professional and technical officials and LOETB in the coming week

Following approval of the stage 2a report, the design team will progress to obtain the statutory planning approvals, prepare a set of fully detailed Tender documents, and prepare an accurate pre-tender cost plan. Once these approvals are in place, the project can proceed to tender and construction in due course. As the project is at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible at this time to give a date for its completion.

In order to cater for the school's immediate enrolment requirements, my Department is providing six mainstream classrooms under the Department's Modular Accommodation Framework and the installation of these units will be practically completed in the coming months.