Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2024
314. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education her plans to provide additional post primary schools for the Knocklyon/Firhouse area; if she has any plans, or has she been requested to, expand the existing school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8003/24]
View answerFor school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
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 – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
Officials from my Department work closely with schools, patrons and management bodies to ensure that necessary solutions are put in place to provide the required school places. The Department will continue to monitor enrolment trends, population growth, and residential development and to keep school place requirements under review.
My Department is currently not, in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school authority in question.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA)' which is available at www.education.ie.
There is currently Projects in train for 2 schools in the Firhouse School Planning Area including a Major Project ongoing for Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School for a 1,000 pupil places, plus provision for 6 Special Education Needs Classrooms. There is also an Additional School accommodation project for Old Bawn Community School for delivery of Modular accommodation.
