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.

Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department is investing over €5 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day.

My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects.

Since 2020 we have invested in the region of €3.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 690 school building projects, and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects. School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. We also have 200 modular accommodation projects that are very well advanced for delivery or at construction stage.

This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities.

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 my Department’s projections of school place requirements.

In line with the Department's demographic projections, there has been a continued growth in enrolments throughout many School Planning Areas in North Kildare. In response, the Department has been providing further significant additional school place capacity.

Since 2020, in Kildare alone, we have invested in excess of €246m in our schools and completed 32 school building projects. Construction is underway at 12 other projects. We also have four modular accommodation projects that are very well advanced for delivery or at construction stage.

Major projects recently completed in Kildare include new school buildings in Maynooth and Naas. New school buildings at construction or planned include projects in Prosperous, Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Naas and Clane.

Growth is projected to continue in many parts of Kildare based on existing construction and planning activity. The population growth and associated demand for school places will be kept under ongoing review by my Department and will inform our approach.

My Department is also liaising with patrons of schools in North Kildare in the context of enrolment processes for September 2024. Schools in a number of school planning areas in the county have been requested to share data on applications for admissions with my Department. To further inform our planning, school management bodies are assisting with a detailed analysis of post-primary school capacity in the area, taking account of school-specific factors such as current class groupings and subject offerings.

The Department will continue its strong record of investment in school infrastructure in North Kildare and families can be assured that any required solutions will be put in place to ensure that all pupils in County Kildare and throughout the country obtain a school place.