Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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18. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on her Department’s effort to meet the demand for school places in Dublin Fingal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23908/24]

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 will be aware, for school planning purposes, 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 of school place requirements.

Across Dublin Fingal, primary enrolments are past their peak, and both total enrolments and Junior Infant intakes are reducing. At post primary level, total post primary enrolments are expected to peak in the 2024/25 school year, but first year enrolments have already begun to decline. My Department will keep the demographic picture under review, particularly in light of residential development in the area.

In response to previously identified demographic pressures, my Department has provided significant primary and post primary capacity in the Dublin Fingal area, including by establishing new schools. Four new primary schools and three new post primary schools have been established in the Dublin Fingal area since 2018 and projects to provide new school buildings for these schools are either already complete, such as Swords Community College and Stapolin ETNS, or in train. In total, there are 29 large scale school building projects at various stages of planning and delivery across Dublin Fingal, including a new school building for St Joseph's Secondary School, Rush and for Hedgestown NS.

Multiple smaller projects providing additional accommodation are also at various stages of planning and delivery.

This recent and ongoing capital investment has had a significant impact in providing additional school places across Dublin Fingal. Across schools in the relevant School Planning Areas, there are over 300 more Junior Infants places available for 2024/25 than Junior Infants enrolled in 2023/24. At post primary level in Dublin Fingal, there are over 100 more First Year places available for 2024/25 than First Years enrolled in 2023/24.

Notwithstanding this scale of ongoing project delivery, and the general decline in demographic demand, the Department is aware of pressures for school places in some School Planning Areas in Dublin Fingal.

It is important to note that while there can be enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, this may not be as a result of lack of accommodation, but may be driven by factors such as duplication of applications, school of choice or draw from outside the local area. In urban areas such as Fingal, there can be a high level of mobility between school planning areas.

The Department has been working with schools and patrons in the School Planning Areas of Malahide_Nevinstown and Portmarnock over recent months to review data on applications for admissions for September 2024, and is also collaboratively planning towards September 2025.

I can assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there are sufficient places available in those areas and across Fingal for the 2024/25 school year and future years.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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19. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action she will take to ensure that there are sufficient secondary school places for every child who needs one in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23912/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is an absolute priority of the Department to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place that is appropriate to their needs and we are continually investing in existing and new schools to ensure that this is the case.

Testament to this is that nearly 400 new classes for children with special education were established for the 2023/24 school year and school building projects completed in 2023 delivered over 7,000 additional mainstream post primary school places.

Since 2020, my department has invested in the region of €4.8 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 800 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 30 new school buildings. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2bn.

I also recently announced that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.

This capital investment is underpinned by a robust school planning approach that uses 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 utilised for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department’s projections of school place requirements.

There are one million learners across 4,000 primary and post-primary schools around the country. Growth in overall post primary enrolments is projected to continue in many parts of the country. However, first year enrolments nationally are expected to have peaked in the current school year and will begin to decline.

Nevertheless, due to strong residential construction and planning activity, we can expect to see increasing demand in particular towns and areas. This is fully factored into my Department’s forward planning approach, which includes extensive engagement with local authorities.

In the area of special education, the National Council for Special Education has forecast continued significant growth in the requirements for special classes at post primary level. My Department is working towards the provision of an average of four special classes in every post primary school.

While there can be enrolment pressures in some areas, it is important to note that sometimes this may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by factors such as duplications of applications, and applications from outside the local area.

Notwithstanding this, in some areas there can be an underlying requirement for additional school places. In that context, as part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for admission was shared with my Department by post-primary schools across areas of enrolment pressure.

The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements. In the majority of areas, through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. The Department is working with schools and patrons and additional places have already been made available in some areas. Further additional provision will be made where a need is identified.

While a small number of applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2024/25, I want to assure families that all children who require a school place will be provided with one.