Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Accommodation
Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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592. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what planning her Department has undertaken or will be undertaking to meet the schooling needs of the Balbriggan community given the plans for further significant housing development planned for the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1195/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
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
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
There are 8 projects planned in the Balbriggan school planning area and when completed, will cater for the demand for school places in the area:
Primary
Naul NS (Roll No: 01170G)
Brief: 3x mainstream classroom: 2x special education classroom.
Status: Stage 2B. Stage 2B is the developed design & lodgement of planning permission.
St. Molaga's SNS (Roll No: 16970A)
Brief: New replacement 19x Mainstream classroom & 2x Special education classrooms. Stage 3.
Status: Stage 3 is the instruction for the project to proceed to tender.
Blessed Oliver National School (Roll No: 17569E)
Brief: 7x Classroom extensions, 3x special education tuition classrooms & retention of existing GP hall.
Status: Stage 5. Stage 5 is final handover of the school building to the patron/Board of Management.
St Teresa's PS (Roll No: 19515O)
Brief: 4x Mainstream classroom (prefab replacement) & 1x mainstream classroom: 1x special education tuition room: 2x special education classroom and ancillary.
Status: Stage 1. Stage 1 is the preliminary design stage where the design team in conjunction with the school authorities, will analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and ensure that the preferred option is the best option for the delivery of the brief.
Gaelscoil Baile Brigin (Roll No: 20269J)
Brief: 1x Special education classroom & interim accommodation of 1x special education tuition room.
Status: Stage 4. Stage 4 is the signing of the letter of acceptance to the successful contractor and commencement on site.
Scoil Cormaic (Roll No: 19515O)
Brief: Reconfiguration to create 1x special education classroom.
Status: Stage 5. Stage 5 is final handover of the school building to the patron/Board of Management.
Post-primary
Coláiste Glór na Mara (Roll No: 68082L)
Brief: Refurbishment to accommodate a satellite school in Dundalk Co. Louth.
Status: Stage 5. Stage 5 is final handover of the school building to the patron/Board of Management.
Balbriggan CC (Roll No: 70010V)
Brief: Extension to provide total LTPE of 1000 & 2x Special education classroom.
Status: Stage 2B. Stage 2B is the developed design & lodgement of planning permission.
Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme 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.
New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.
The department will continue to liaise with local authorities in respect of their county development plan and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas including Balbriggan.
Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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593. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the progress her Department has made in planning and providing the four autism classes for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1196/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project under my Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme, to provide a 4 classroom SEN unit as an extension to the existing school building. The project has been devolved for delivery to Louth & Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB).
I am pleased to advise that my Departments has completed the review of the Stage 3 (tender) report and this project has now been approved to proceed to Stage 4 (construction stage). This approval has been communicated to LMETB.
It is now within the remit of Louth & Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) and the school authority to progress this project accordingly.
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