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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 May 1991

Vol. 408 No. 4

Written Answers. - Post-Primary Education.

Michael Noonan

Question:

180 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East): asked the Minister for Education if she will outline her Department's estimate of the number of children who will be seeking places in post-primary education in Limerick city in (1) September 1991 and (2) in each year from September 1992 to the year 2000.

Michael Noonan

Question:

181 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East): asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that (1) a centralised scheme for admission to post-primary schools is at present in operation in Limerick city, and is organised by the association of principals and vice-principals of post-primary schools and (2) arising from this scheme, certain students were offered no places at all, and other students were made offers so far down their list of preferences, that the places in the schools offered were not suitable either to the talents of the students or the circumstances of their families; if she will outline the action she proposes to take to ensure (a) that every student seeking a place in post-primary schools in Limerick city is provided with a place, and (b) that the concept of parental choice of post-primary schools is maintained.

I propose taking Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together.

My Department's estimate of the number of children in the Limerick city catchment area who will be seeking post-primary school places in coming years is as follows: 1991, 1,877; 1992, 1,817; 1993, 1,852; 1994, 1,743; 1995, 1,728; 1996, 1,452; 1997, 1,732; 1998, 1,730. It is not feasible, at this stage, to quantify accurately the demand for places beyond 1998. However, in view of the decline in births in Limerick city of 46 per cent in the period 1980 to 1989 the numbers seeking post-primary places will decline significantly in the longer term.
I am aware that a centralised scheme for admission to post-primary schools in September 1991 has been introduced by the school authorities in Limerick city. Enrolment policy, generally, is a matter for school managements to decide upon. It would be expected, however, that priority would be given to pupils from within a schools's catchment area.
While I understand that maintenance of the principle of parental choice is a prime object of the centralised scheme, it must be accepted that, in a catchment area such as Limerick city, where there are a number of post-primary schools, not every pupil will obtain a place in his/her first choice school. My Department's overall responsibility is to ensure that all the schools have, between them, adequate provision to meet demand and I am satisfied that this applies in Limerick city.

Michael Noonan

Question:

182 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Education if she will outline (1) the names and the catchment area of all post-primary schools in Limerick city and county, (2) the number of students in each and (3) the admission policy to first year in each school.

The data requested by the Deputy is set out in the following statement.

Enrolment and intake policies are primarily a matter for each post-primary school management; my Department's main responsibility is to ensure that, in each post-primary centre, sufficient accommodation is available to satisfy the overall demand for pupil places.

County Limerick

Name of Catchment Area

Second-Level Schools

Enrolment 1990-91

Abbeyfeale

Coláiste Íde Naofa

220

St. Joseph's (Mercy Convent)

418

Vocational School

237

Askeaton/Foynes/Shanagolden/

Scoil Muire, Askeaton

201

Pallaskenry

Star of the Sea (Mercy Convent)

231

Shanagolden V.S.

46

Salesian College, Pallaskenry

359

Croom

Vocational School

223

Doon/Cappamore

CBS, Doon

260

St. Joseph's Mercy Convent, Doon

377

Cappamore Vocational School

103

Drumcollogher

Scoil Muire

112

Vocational School

199

Bruff/Hospital

Convent FCJ, Bruff

316

Presentation/De La Salle, Hospital

606

Hospital Vocational School

234

Kilfinane

St. Paul's

391

Kilmallock

St. Joseph's Postprimary School

257

Vocational School

93

Newcastlewest

Meán Scoil Íde Naofa

278

Scoil Mhuire

359

Vocational School

352

Rathkeale

Scoil Bhanríon na hEagna

299

Vocational School

164

City of Limerick

St. Michael's CBS

885

Árd Scoil Iognáid Rís

624

St. Clement's College

512

St. Munchin's

590

Árd Scoil Muire Ríon Luimní

737

Convent FCJ, Laurel Hill

596

An Clochar, D.Ch.1, Cnoc na Labhras

346

Meán Scoil Maria Auxiliatrix, Fernbank

811

Árd Scoil Mhuire

455

Scoil Carmel

610

Villiers School

247

Municipal Technical Institute

124

School of Commerce, Mulgrave Street

226

St. Nessan's Moylish

885

Crescent College Comp, Dooradoyle

926

St. Enda's Comm. School, Galvone

621

Total

15,530

Michael Noonan

Question:

183 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Education if she will outline (1) the catchment area of Newport secondary school, County Tipperary and (2) the number of pupils in the school.

There are two post-primary schools in Newport: Scoil Mhuire, Clochar na Trócaire (Co-Ed secondary school); and St. Joseph's Vocational School (Co-Ed). Current enrolments at these schools are 556 and 209 respectively.

A list of the primary schools in the Newport post-primary catchment area is as follows:
Primary Schools in Newport, County Tipperary.
Post-Primary Catchment Area.
School Name and Address
Lackamore N.S., Newport.
Newport Convent N.S.
Newport Boys N.S.
Rear N.S., Newport.
Ballinahinch N.S., Newport (shared with Killaloe post-primary centre).
Birdhill N.S., Limerick (shared with Killaloe post-primary centre).
Murroe N.S., Limerick (shared with Doon/Cappamore post-primary centre).
Kilcummin N.S., Thurles.
Scoil Íosagáin, Upperchurch, Thurles (shared with Borrisoleigh and Thurles post-primary centres).
Castleconnell N.S., Limerick.
Rich Hill N.S., Limerick (shared with Limerick City post-primary centre).
Ahane N.S., Limerick.

Michael Noonan

Question:

184 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Education the plans she has for the development of Rathkeale secondary school, County Limerick; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that post-primary schools in Limerick city are attracting students who live in the catchment area of county schools; and if she will outline the measures she proposes taking to ensure that the viability of secondary schools in County Limerick is maintained.

There are two post-primary schools in the Rathkeale catchment area, viz. the Mercy secondary school and the vocational school.

I have recently approved an agreement reached between the managements to amalgamate the two schools to form a community college under the aegis of County Limerick Vocational Education Committee and architectural planning is proceeding on a building project arising from this agreement.

It is inevitable, given geographical and other considerations, that children from one post-primary catchment area will seek to attend schools in adjacent catchment areas. The question of whether such children should be accepted for enrolment in schools outside their catchment area is a matter for school managements to decide upon, subject to the availability of accommodation. Enrolment trends in primary and post-primary schools generally are kept under regular review in my Department.
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