Eoin Ó Broin
Question:282. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education her Department's plans to provide a new standalone secondary school for Newcastle, County Dublin. [21293/24]
View answerTuesday, 14 May 2024
Questions (282)
Written answers
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 for my Department.
As the Deputy may be aware, while there can be enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note sometimes this may not be as a result of lack of accommodation, but may be driven by the following factors:
• Duplication of applications
• School of choice
• Single sex schools
• External draw
Notwithstanding the above, in some areas demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.
In response to such previously identified demographic pressures, my Department has delivered a Modular Accommodation project in 2022 of an additional 3 main classrooms for Holy Family Community School which allowed for a further 90 mainstream school places. Additionally, my Department is providing significant additional post primary capacity, including new 1,000 pupil school buildings for both Holy Family Community School and Coláiste Pobail Fola. These projects are currently at Stage 3.
As part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for admission has been received by the Department from post-primary schools across areas of enrolment pressure, including Newcastle_Rathcoole, and updated data on offers and acceptances continues to be received as admissions processes transact.
The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements across the areas. In the majority of areas through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the Department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. However, there is an identified requirement for additional first year places in the Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area and the Department has been liaising with schools and patrons in this respect, with a view to advancing a solution as soon as possible.
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, while some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2024/25, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one. The Department is continuing to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there are sufficient school places available, and to put any required solutions in place.
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. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may 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 pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
My Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas including in Newcastle_Rathcoole.
I can assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Newcastle_Rathcoole and surrounding School Planning Areas for the 2024/25 school year and into the future.