John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has completed an assessment of the actual requirement of school places for September 2024 in the Greystones and Kilcoole area in County Wicklow; if her Department has put in place a plan to address the shortfall and ensure that every child has a local secondary school place for September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30487/24]

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.

The Department has been aware of pressures for post primary school places for the 2024/25 school year in Greystones and Kilcoole, and the Department has extensive engagement with the relevant schools and patrons over the course of many months. All the schools were requested to facilitate additional enrolments, with the offer of any reasonable required support from the Department.

On foot of this engagement, Greystones Community College has increased their first-year intake by an additional three class groups, relative to what was indicated on their Admissions Notice for 2024/25. The school, its Board of Management and Kildare and Wicklow ETB are making this additional provision in recognition of the best interests of the community in Greystones and this is very much welcomed.

My Department’s responsibility is to ensure that all schools in an area can, between them, meet the school place needs and there are, in total, as many first year places as sixth class children leaving primary schools in Greystones School Planning Area. Nevertheless, I am aware that there are children in Greystones who have not yet received a school place. According to information shared by management bodies as of 13th June 2024 with my Department, the local children who have not yet received an offer of a place did not apply to all schools in the area or are not residing within the SPA. As per the Departments recent analysis on enrolment data there are approximately 4 applicants who have accepted a place in 2 schools.

The situation with respect to the filling of the places at schools is an evolving one, as places are offered and accepted and refused, and this process is managed directly by the school authority. It is important to note that there can often be significant overlap across areas and schools and the nature of the admissions processes is quite complex. As a result, there can be multiple iterations, where applicants may accept a place but subsequently be offered and accept a place at a second school, freeing up capacity at the first school accepted. In that context, is may take some time for the full impact of the additional provision at Greystones Community College to take effect.

The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers. Contact details are available at on Tusla’s website.

Planning for 2025/26 first year place needs in Greystones has already commenced, including direct engagement with patrons. Furthermore, and as part of its forward planning, the Department has also requested all of the patrons in Greystones and Kilcoole to consider how the admissions process for their schools could be better coordinated and improved for the 2025/26 first year intake. The Department has offered its support in this regard.

Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Greystones into the future, including through the progression of relevant school building projects.