Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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657. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of first-year students in each post-primary school in the Cabra-Phibsborough-Dublin 7 school planning area in 2024/2025 versus capacity for each school, over the past five years, in tabular form. [30133/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Please find attached requested data for academic years 2020 to 2023, pupils enrolled in first year in each school located in Cabra-Phibsborough-Dublin 7 School Planning Area.

We expect to publish final data for academic year 2024-2025 shortly and we will revert to the deputy with the data for 2024-2025 when it has been published.

Enrolment data is taken from the PPOD database as per the annual published school lists which can be found at the link below. All enrolments are as per the census date, 30th September, for each year.

www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/

I want to assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work to ensure a school place for every child in Cabra_Phibsboro_D7 school planning area, as with others across the country.

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 of mine.

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.

While my 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.

The table below sets out the available first year places according to data provided by the schools to the Department in their annual returns.

I want to assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work to ensure a school place for every child in Cabra_Phibsboro_D7 school planning area, as with others across the country.