Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will not proceed with the relocation of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4997/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Requirements for school places are kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments, and residential development activity.

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.

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.

Ériu Community College was initially established in 2020 as a regional solution to serve the Blanchardstown_WestD15 and BlanchardstownVge_D15 school planning areas (SPAs) as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise.

BlanchardstownVge_D15 has 3 post primary schools and Blanchardstown_WestD15 has 2 post primary schools in addition to Ériu Community College, which is currently located in this SPA in interim accommodation.

It has been established that there is currently a lot of movement of pupils out of the communities in which they live to attend post primary school. This is most acute in the Mulhuddart_Tyrellstown_D15 School Planning Area, where enrolment numbers are significantly less than the school going population. Recent analysis has shown that there is greater current and projected future demand for additional post-primary school places in the Mulhuddart_Tyrrelstown_D15 school planning area (SPA) compared to the Blanchardstown SPAs. Only 40% of the post primary pupils living in Mulhuddart_Tyrellstown SPA attend schools located in Mulhuddart_Tyrellstown SPA while a further 27% of these pupils attend post primary schools located in the Blanchardstown SPAs. Over 65% of pupils living in the Blanchardstown SPAs attends schools located in the Blanchardstown SPAs.

My department has therefore determined that it is optimal that permanent accommodation for Ériu Community College should be provided on the Minister-owned site at Hollywoodrath.

Locating Ériu Community College permanently on this site will accommodate the current and projected future demand for post primary places in the Mulhuddart_Tyrrelstown_D15 SPA and will, in turn, free up capacity in the Blanchardstown post primary schools.

Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School and Coláiste Pobail Setanta in the Blanchardstown_WestD15 SPA and Scoil Phobail Chuil Mhin, Blakestown Community School and Hartstown Community School in the BlanchardstownVge_D15 SPA were established to serve their school planning areas respectively. My department is satisfied that these schools can adequately cater for children residing in these areas.

Any additional capacity needed in Blanchardstown to meet rising demand from new residential development in the area can be catered for with extensions to the existing post primary schools.

This decision aligns with the principles of sustainable and compact growth, aiming to position school capacity close to the residential areas it serves and at the heart of the community. Moreover, it will provide permanent accommodation for Ériu Community College in a shorter period than would be achievable at its current location.

It is acknowledged that re-locating the school may cause difficulty for some of the current school community. However, it is hoped that the impact will be reduced with careful management by the school authority. It is anticipated that the current school population will be close to completing post primary education in advance of the re-location.