Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

227. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts being made to ensure that all students in Kill, County Kildare, secure a school place in September 2024, given the number of refusals for primary school children so far for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30854/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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, in order to plan for school place needs, 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.

It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

There are currently a number of active projects at primary level in the Naas School Planning Areas which will increase local capacity. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on my Department's website at, and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

My Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in Kill, as with other areas across the country, under review.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

228. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which dialogue continues between her Department, the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and the relevant school authorities in Naas, County Kildare, at pre-primary, primary and post-primary levels with a view to ensuring that sufficient places are being made available to meet the demand of the current and subsequent years without interruption, either in respect of continued building where required, the planning of any new schools, or the acceleration of ongoing work in all schools; if satisfactory results can be achieved before the new school year; if she is satisfied that work in progress or steps yet to be taken can proceed without interruption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30855/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

My Department is aware of enrolment pressures in some areas across Co Kildare including Naas. My Department has been working very closely with patrons, management bodies and schools to work solutions in the small number of cases where additional places are required for the coming school year. As part of this engagement with patrons, the Department is also collaboratively planning towards 2025/26 and future years, as part of forward planning generally.

More than €280 million has been invested in school infrastructure in County Kildare since 2020 alone, reflecting a strong focus on alignment of school place availability with the significant residential development across the county. This investment includes recently completed new school buildings in Maynooth and Naas. Additionally, further new school buildings and extensions are at construction or planned, including in Prosperous, Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Naas and Clane.

I recently announced the progression of the “Project Boyne” bundle of six large-scale school building projects to tender this year, under a programme devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency. Three of the six projects are for County Kildare schools, namely Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen; Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge; and St Mary’s College, Naas.

Where expedited delivery of school accommodation is required, my Department also utilises its Modular Accommodation Framework. This is particularly beneficial in the context of the significant growth in requirements for provision for children with special educational needs.

In addition, a key focus of the Department is the utilisation of existing accommodation at schools to provide facilities for special classes. This approach also supports accelerated delivery and ensures that provision is well integrated within the mainstream school accommodation.

There are currently some 20 modular and reconfiguration projects ongoing across County Kildare to meet school place requirements.

Nationally, Ireland has been experiencing growth in overall post primary enrolments and this is projected to continue in many parts of the country for the next number of years before beginning to decline. However, there is significant regional and local variation in enrolment trends and projections, with residential construction activity one of the most significant influencing factors. This means that, as enrolments nationally begin to decline, we can still expect to see increasing demand at primary and post primary level in particular towns and areas. This is fully factored into my Department’s data analysis and strategic planning approach, including for Co Kildare.

The Deputy may be aware that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for early years education outside the formal education system, including preschool provision through the free Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE).

I want to assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in the Naas school planning area for the 2024/25 school year and into the future, including by advancing required school building projects.