Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
Irish Language
Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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668. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will establish a Gaelcholáiste in Cherrywood, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2012/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas. The department 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 significantly impact the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, the department factors in planning and construction activity in the residential sector.
This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with proactive engagement with local authorities. 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.
The planned establishment of a new post-primary school in 2021 to specifically serve the Cherrywood SDZ which is in the Sallynoggin/Killiney/Dun Laoghaire Rathdown school planning area was announced in 2018 as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. This announcement also included for the establishment of two new primary schools to serve the Cherrywood SDZ area specifically. One of those primary schools was designated as an Irish medium gaelscoil.
Further analysis has since been conducted on the necessity for the establishment of the planned new schools taking into account a number of factors including the pace of delivery of the expected additional residential development in the Cherrywood SDZ area, associated enrolments and the capacity in existing schools in the school planning area.
The department is satisfied that existing demand can be accommodated at present by the existing and growing schools in the school planning area. As a result, the establishment of the planned new post primary school and Irish medium primary school has been deferred.
Since 2011, new arrangements have been in place for the establishment of new schools involving the forecasting of demand for school places based on demographic exercises carried out by the department. 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.
These arrangements also give an opportunity to patrons to apply for the patronage of new schools. The criteria used in deciding on the patronage of new schools place a particular emphasis on parental patronage and language preferences and an analysis of existing provision in the areas where the schools are being established. This approach is underpinned by a 2011 government decision.
Due to the projection new population in the Cherrywood SDZ area, it is important that any school established be reserved to serve the SDZ area primarily and not be regional solutions for the wider South Dublin area.
The pace of delivery of additional residential development in the Cherrywood SDZ area, along with updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and this will inform the timing of school requirements in the area.
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