Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports her Department is providing to a school (details supplied), in terms of their future accommodation needs in the context of the school serving a rural village with significant new housing development currently under construction and due to be occupied in the next 18 months. [60453/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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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.

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.

The pace of delivery of additional residential developments in the Dundalk school planning area, along with updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and this will inform the timing of further school requirements in the area.

In this regard, I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department has received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.

The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.

The application will be considered by my officials in this context and once the assessment is finalised and a decision is reached, the school authorities will be contacted directly.