Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that 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 of Education.

In order to plan for school place needs the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department's projections of school place requirements.

While the Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not 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

Notwithstanding the above, in some areas demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional capacity 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

There are a number of active projects at primary level in progress in the Portmarnock school planning area which will provide additional capacity. These projects include new school building project for Malahide Portmarnock ETNS to provide a 16 mainstream classrooms and 4 Special education classroom school. In addition, there are extension projects active for St Nicholas of Myra NS, and St. Helen’s SNS which are at Stage 1.

The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on the Department's website at, www.gov.ie 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.

The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers. Contact details are available on Tusla’s website.

The Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in the Portmarnock school planning area, as with other across the country, under review.