Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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694. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans in place or criteria necessary to support the establishment of a new Gaelscoil at a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58239/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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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, the department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including 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, the 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.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the 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.

New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure must be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase to ensure that every child has a school place. There are no plans at present to establish any new schools either English medium or Irish medium, in the North Laois/Portarlington area, in 2026.

A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. The New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG) is an external independent advisory group which was set up in 2011 to advise me on the patronage of new schools. The patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons.

An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) provides objective information to parents in the relevant school planning areas to assist them in making an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage and language of instruction for the new school.

A prospective patron can choose the school(s) it wishes to apply for and complete an application form in that regard for each school, for submission to the department. The Department provides details on the OPPS of the school(s) and the list of applicant patrons which have applied for patronage of the school(s).

Parents access the OPPS website, which allows them to access the appropriate survey for their area, to input the details of the eligible child(ren) and to select their preferred patron and language of instruction (where applicable). Parental preferences, as well as other considerations such as the extent of diversity of provision in an area (including Irish-medium provision), are key to the decision-making process and to whether, at primary level, a school would take the form of an Irish-medium Gaelscoil.

A new policy for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is due to be launched by my department in the coming weeks. A key action under this policy is the establishment of a taskforce on models of Irish-medium education. The taskforce will provide a platform for collaboration between the department and key stakeholders to identify and co-design approaches to increase the provision of high-quality Irish-medium education in a sustainable manner.

The department will continue to liaise with Laois County Council in respect of their county development plan and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.