Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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46. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure every child and young person seeking a school place in County Kildare will be offered same in 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 academic years. [7552/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is an absolute priority to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place and the Department of Education are continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that this is the case. Enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €327 million in school infrastructure in County Kildare. This significant capital investment includes a number of recently delivered new school building projects, state of the art, modern school accommodation for 1,000 pupils was provided at Naas Community College, Maynooth Comity College and Maynooth Post Primary School and provision for 850 pupils at St. Paul’s Secondary School, Monasterevin at post-primary level. At primary level new 24 mainstream classroom schools were provided for Maynooth BNS, St. Patrick’s BNS, Clane and 16 mainstream classroom schools were provided for St. Joseph’s NS, Kilcock and Maynooth ETNS.

My Department is aware of post primary enrolment pressures in Kildare for the 2025/26 school year and, in addition to the capital investment already outlined, has put in place a number of measures to support post-primary schools in managing and effectively coordinating their admissions processes including continuing the data-sharing arrangements with schools in areas of enrolment pressure.

The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements. In the majority of areas, through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. The Department is working with schools to ensure there are sufficient places for all who require a place for 2025. Further additional provision will be made where a need is identified.

While a small number of applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2025/26, I want to assure families that all children who require a school place will be provided with one.