Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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505. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which adequate school places remain available to parents and school children at Moyvalley, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45228/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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
• School of choice
• Single sex schools
• External draw

Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, including the Longwood School Planning Area, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity and identifies any requirement for additional provision. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

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

At a national level, 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, first year enrolments nationally are expected to have peaked in the 2023/24 school year and are beginning to decline from next year. At primary level, there is generally good capacity across the country, although there are some areas under continuing demographic pressures.

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.

As the Deputy may be aware, 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 on Tusla’s website.

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