Written answers
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Admissions
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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499. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children resident in the Athy area who have not yet been offered a primary school place for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26039/25]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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500. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children resident in the Kildare town area who have not yet been offered a primary school place for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26040/25]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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501. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children resident in Suncroft area who have not yet been offered a primary school place for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26041/25]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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502. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children resident in the Naas area who have not yet been offered a primary school place for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26042/25]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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503. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children resident in the Newbridge area who have not yet been offered a primary school place for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26043/25]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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504. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children resident in the Monasterevin area who have not yet been offered a primary school place for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26044/25]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 to 504, inclusive, together.
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 of mine.
As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my 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 my Department's projections of school place requirements.
It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always 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
Since 2020, my department has invested over €335 million in school infrastructure across County Kildare. The Department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place.
My 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 availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their Admissions legislation. The specific information requested is not available at this time.
As the Deputy may be aware, 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.
I want to assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work to ensure a school place for every child throughout the school planning areas of Monasterevin, Athy, Kildare, Naas, Newbridge and the Curragh.
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