Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the frequency with which the school planning areas reviewed; when the most recent review took place; the alterations, if any were made during that review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21384/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school planning areas were developed for use with the department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) in 2008 and with the introduction of small areas in census 2011, these areas were amended to align with census small areas. The current school planning areas take account not only of local groupings of schools, but also of natural boundaries, census small areas and other local conditions.

The school planning areas provide a useful means of projecting demographic demand in a localised area or areas, thereby allowing the department to determine oncoming growth at a relatively localised level to inform recommendations and decisions on where additional school places may be needed.

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 the geographic information system, which facilitates the analysis of 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.

In recent years, due to the ability to geocode enrolment and child benefit data to small areas, my department has been conducting more granular analysis below the level of a school planning area, particularly where a school planning area encompasses both high growth urban settlement areas and a more rural hinterland. This demographic demand analysis factors in planning and construction activity in the residential sector which involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO, along with engagement with local authorities. This ensures that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes at a local level, where the picture can quickly evolve due to planned new residential development.

Our analysis of school place demand in urban areas experiencing high population growth has indicated that demand in the urban area can be 10-20% higher than the school planning area as a whole.

To ensure alignment of school provision with rollout of additional residential development, the department liaises with all 31 Local Authorities in respect of the County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas. My department engages with all consultation phases of these plans to ensure that there is an adequate amount of appropriately zoned and suitably located sites for future school place provision and that they are in line with objectives as identified in the National Planning Framework.