Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
Schools Building Projects
Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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570. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) was first notified formally or informally of proposals to move to a premises off Thomas Omer Way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1039/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department and the NCSE work closely in relation to advance planning for new special school requirements. This work was primarily done in the latter half of 2024 in respect of the 5 new special schools that are due to be established for the 2025/26 school year. Updates in relation to this work are set out in press releases that were published by my Department in October and December 2024. As part of these works there is preparatory work done on identifying opportunities for repurposing existing accommodation which in the Department’s experience is the most efficient method for facilitating the opening of new special schools. In the case of the new special school being established in the Lucan area, this work also involved an assessment of the wider demographic requirements at primary level.
The decision to repurpose the Lucan East ETNS school to facilitate the establishment of the new special school to provide much needed special school provision in the Lucan area was confirmed by the Minister in the press release issued on 10th December and this position was notified to the patron and school at that time.
Lucan East ETNS will move from their current location to the new school building that is nearing completion in Kishogue over Easter 2025, with students returning to the new school following the Easter midterm break.
The new school for Lucan East ETNS is well located to continue to serve its existing catchment area, which has a reducing demand over the medium term, while also starting to meet the increasing demand from the new residential area in Clonburris. The relocation of Lucan East ETNS does not affect the Department's plans for further school development in the Clonburris area and the Department will continue to monitor demand brought about by demographic need when addressing school capacity.
The school in Kishogue is a new state of the art 16 classroom primary school with 2 Special Education Needs (SEN) classrooms, external hard and soft play areas, new SEN soft play equipment, a secure junior play area, two ballcourts, and 118 bicycle rack units that meets all the Department’s modern technical guidance documents and decarbonisation requirements.
My Department will be working closely with the patron and school authority on the practical arrangements for the relocation.
Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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571. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to correspondence, the reason a current school site is no longer suitable for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1040/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of its forward planning, my Department has identified the need for a new special school to be established in the Lucan area for the 2025/26 school year. This will be a very important local facility for families and children in the Lucan area who require a school place in a special school.
My Department considers that this need can be best met through the Lucan East ETNS school moving to the new school building that is nearing completion in Kishogue and for the existing school building at Lucan East to be re-purposed to facilitate the establishment of the new special school.
The new school building in Kishogue is due to be completed by Easter 2025. This will enable my Department to re-purpose the existing building in advance of the opening of the new special school for the 2025/26 school year.
In the case of the new special school being established in the Lucan area, an assessment of the wider demographic requirements at primary level was carried out. The decision to relocate Lucan East ETNS was made in the wider context of the demographic need for school places in the area. The demographic profile of the Lucan area has changed since Lucan East ETNS was established, and the demand for school places in the current location is decreasing.
The area surrounding the new school has a younger demographic profile, and a higher associated demand for primary school places in the short to medium term.
The Clonburris area is planned to deliver over 10,000 new homes that will accommodate 23,000 people. Development has started on these homes and the demand for primary school places is starting to materialise.
The new school for Lucan East ETNS is well located to continue to serve its existing catchment area, which has a reducing demand over the medium term, while also starting to meet the increasing demand from the new residential area in Clonburris. The new location is also better positioned to facilitate expansion opportunities in to the future.
The relocation of Lucan East ETNS does not affect the Department's plans for further school development in the Clonburris area and the Department will continue to monitor demand brought about by demographic need when addressing school capacity.
Lucan East ETNS will move from their current location to the new school building that is nearing completion in Kishogue over Easter 2025, with students returning to the new school following the Easter midterm break.
My Department will be working closely with the patron and school authority on the practical arrangements for the relocation.
Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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572. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider deferring the proposed move of a school (details supplied) to the site off Thomas Omer Way until 2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1041/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of my Department’s forward planning, it has identified the need for a new special school to be established in the Lucan area for the 2025/26 school year. This will be a very important local facility for families and children in the Lucan area who require a school place in a special school.
My Department considers that this need can be best met through the Lucan East ETNS school moving to the new school building that is nearing completion in Kishogue and for the existing school building at Lucan East to be re-purposed to facilitate the establishment of the new special school.
The new school building in Kishogue is due to be completed by Easter 2025. This will enable my Department to re-purpose the existing building in advance of the opening of the new special school for the 2025/26 school year.
In the case of the new special school being established in the Lucan area, an assessment of the wider demographic requirements at primary level was carried out. The decision to relocate Lucan East ETNS was made in the wider context of the demographic need for school places in the area. The demographic profile of the Lucan area has changed since Lucan East ETNS was established, and the demand for school places in the current location is decreasing. Due to the changes in the demographic profile, the residential area where Lucan East ETNS is currently located (between the R120 & R136 roads) has a high level of primary school provision relative to the population of primary school children in the area. Therefore, pupils are travelling into this area to attend primary school. The latest primary school enrolment data informs us that over 50% of the current enrolment come from outside this area and more than a third are travelling from East of the R136 "Grange Castle Road".
The area surrounding the new school has a younger demographic profile, and a higher associated demand for primary school places in the short to medium term.
The Clonburris area is planned to deliver over 10,000 new homes that will accommodate 23,000 people. Development has started on these homes and the demand for primary school places is starting to materialise. Relocating Lucan East ETNS will help address this imbalance by providing school accommodation closer to where the demand is located in a sustainable manner.
The new school for Lucan East ETNS is well located to continue to serve its existing catchment area, which has a reducing demand over the medium term, while also starting to meet the increasing demand from the new residential area in Clonburris.
The relocation of Lucan East ETNS does not affect the Department's plans for further school development in the Clonburris area and the Department will continue to monitor demand brought about by demographic need when addressing school capacity.
The new school is on a larger, better shaped site than the existing Lucan East site and has better capacity for future expansion which will be important going forward. This site will benefit from an adjacent park/green space and greenway linking to the future residential development.
The design for the school site factors in a controlled pedestrian crossing, footpaths, pedestrian walkways, and cycle tracks to support and facilitate active travel arrangements. In relation to vehicular access, all vehicles will access the site via a new junction arrangement on the Thomas Omer Way which will involve a dedicated right hand turn lane. The site also contains a turning circle. There are also set down areas allocated within the site which are suited for car and bus set down.
The issue raised in relation to a traffic warden comes within the remit of South Dublin County Council (SDCC). However, my Department will support any application made by the school to SDCC for a traffic warden at the new location and have contacted SDCC outlining the Department’s support for such an application. SDCC have advised the Department that an assessment of the location of the new school will be carried out in early 2025 with a view to establishing if there is need for, and if there is a suitable location for an assisted crossing.
Lucan East ETNS will move from their current location to the new school building that is nearing completion in Kishogue over Easter 2025, with students returning to the new school following the Easter midterm break.
My Department will be working closely with the patron and school authority on the practical arrangements for the relocation.
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