Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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275. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied) and if she will ensure that the child in question is able to attend a school in their local area. [68623/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will 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 students not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

In accordance with the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, schools are required to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. It is an important feature of the act that schools can only make a decision on an application for admission that is based on the school’s admission policy.

Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal a decision of this school to refuse admission. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed.

TUSLA’s Education Support Service (TESS) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child.

Contact details for TESS are available at the following link or by email at tessinfo@tusla.ie.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to ensure there is adequate school provision in Dublin Rathdown, particularly in areas where the population has grown significantly in recent years, and local school places have not kept pace with population growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68637/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, 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, 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.

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 600-1,000 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.

Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme for Dublin Rathdown may be viewed on my department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

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.

The department will continue to liaise with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown 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.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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278. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department is aware of significant numbers of children being left without an offer of a primary school place in Kilternan school planning area; the steps her Department has taken to address the shortfall of school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68638/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €1.6 billion in school infrastructure across County Dublin. My 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.

The annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary and new First Years at post-primary is a very large-scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. My department works with schools, patrons, and management bodies to ensure that there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children.

Primary school enrolments at national level have been in decline for a number of years and this downward demographic trend is also now apparent at first year post primary level. There are, however continued pressures in some areas where there is high demand with continued population growth and housing development driving the need for additional school places.

As the Deputy may be aware, 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 enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.

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 Deputy will appreciate that there can often be significant overlap across areas and schools, and the nature of the admissions processes is quite complex. As a result, there can be multiple iterations, where applicants may accept a place but subsequently be offered and accept a place at a second school, freeing up capacity at the first school accepted. In that context, it may take some time for my department to fully review the availability of primary school places in Kilternan while the admissions process continues to progress.

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.

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 so as to ensure that every child has a school place.

The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on the Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

The pace of delivery of additional residential development in the south suburbs area of Dublin including Kilternan, along with updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and this will inform the timing of school requirements in the area.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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279. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new school places her Department plans to create in Kilternan school planning area annually for the next five years, by year; and if they represent a new school or an expansion of existing schools, in tabular form. [68639/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, 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, 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.

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 600-1,000 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.

There are less than 600 post primary school going children and young people living in the Kilternan School Planning Area. Capacity has been provided in post primary schools in neighbouring areas to cater for this demand. The demand for primary school places is being catered for in the three existing primary schools in the Kilternan School Planning Area, including Our Lady of the Wayside National School, which has a capital project to extend from 12 to 16 mainstream classrooms and SEN facilities. Therefore, there no plans at present to establish new primary or post-primary schools in the Kilternan school planning area. The Department is aware of planned residential developments and has regular engagement with the local authority regarding the progress of the proposed developments.

The pace of delivery of additional residential developments in the 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.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new school places her Department plans to create in Ballinteer Stepaside school planning area annually for the next five years, by year; and if they represent a new school or an expansion of existing schools, in tabular form. [68640/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The priority of the Department continues to be the provision of required additional school places to meet demographic requirements as well as for children with special educational needs. Data available to my department for Dublin south-west for the 2024/2025 academic year show that there were more first year places available than 6th class children and 5.7% of first year places were unfilled.

This reflects the very strong delivery of school building projects in the area. Since 2020, the department has invested over €6 billion under the National Development Plan (NDP) in our schools throughout the country which includes up to ten large scale and additional school accommodation projects in the Ballinteer Stepaside school planning area such as the major projects of Stepaside Educate Together National and Post Primary schools. Over 1,300 school building projects were completed nationally in this time. The Department must manage access to the school building pipeline within the context of available resources, including funding parameters. In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan (NDP). All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans shortly. The department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.

The information requested by the Deputy regarding ongoing projects in the Ballinteer Stepaside school planning area and their current status is available on the Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

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