John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider the development of a post-primary school in Newtownmountkennedy as a result of the rapidly increasing demographic in the area and the lack of post-primary places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42431/25]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the data her Department uses as a means of building new post-primary schools; the level of population increase that would have to be present in Newtownmountkennedy and surrounding areas to warrant a new post-primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42432/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1122 and 1123 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.

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.

Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.

Newtownmountkennedy is included in the Kilcoole School Planning Area (SPA) for school place capacity planning. The Department’s demographic projections forecasts that there will be an increase in demand for post-primary school places in the Kilcoole SPA until a peak in 2028. First-year enrolments are currently projected to have peaked in 2023. However, the projected increases in total enrolment have not yet materialised and enrolments have remained static. Demographic projections are kept under review on an ongoing basis.

My Department also conducts 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. 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.

An analysis of the population of Kilcoole school planning area shows that the number of children of post primary school age is less than 1,000. The longer-term demand for post primary school places is not projected increase significantly, even when taking new residential developments and overall population increases are taken into consideration.

If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post-primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600 to 1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (aonad) in an English-medium school.

New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.

Since 2011, my Department has established 47 new english medium post primary school entities in areas of significant population growth. Of these, 90% can cater for a minimum of 1000 pupils. This is to ensure that capacity of existing school estate is maximised as much as possible to ensure that affordability, value for money and functionality are at the core of the Department's project and programme planning and delivery.

As part of planning for September 2025, the Department will be engaging with an increased number of post-primary schools across areas of potential enrolment pressure, including areas in counties Kildare, Wicklow, Dublin, Galway and Cork. This engagement will include the request for admissions data to help identify duplicate applications and determine the need for additional places, if any, in the area. It is expected that, as in previous years, the data sharing will provide confidence that there is sufficient school place availability in the majority of areas. However, if a shortfall of places is identified in an area, the Department will work with schools to put the necessary solutions in place.

There is one post-primary school in the school planning area, Coláiste Chraobh Abhainn, with a project to increase its capacity from 675 pupils to 1000 pupils plus 4 class SEN unit. This project is at stage 3; instruction for the project to proceed to tender. In addition, in 2020 a new post-primary school (Greystones Community College) was established to serve both the Kilcoole and Greystones SPAs as a regional solution. This school capital project is currently on site and will cater for over 1,000 post primary school pupils when complete.

Any future shortfall in capacity required to meet the demand for post-primary schools can be catered for in the existing post primary schools.

Based on the analysis undertaken, it is deemed that there is not a sufficient unmet demand in the Newtownmountkennedy and wider area to establish a new post-primary school.

Requirements for school places will be kept under ongoing review in this region and across the country.