Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 6

Written Answers. - Drogheda (Louth) Pupil Statistics.

Michael Bell

Question:

491 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Education the number of pupils who sought post-primary places in the Drogheda area of County Louth for each of the five years beginning September 1991; and the way in which this figure compares with her Department's estimate as given in a reply of 26 February 1991. [511/94]

Michael Bell

Question:

492 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Education her Department's projections of the number of pupils who will be seeking first year post-primary places in the Drogheda area of County Louth for each of the next five years beginning September 1996; and the number who sought such places in September 1995. [512/94]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 492 together.

On the following statement, which I propose to circulate in the Official Report, are set out, (i) the estimate of pupils due to leave primary schools in the Drogheda area for each of the five years 1991 to 1995, as given in a previous Dáil question reply referred to by the Deputy; (ii) statistical details of the number of pupils who enrolled in the post primary schools in Drogheda between 1991 and 1994 — actual enrolment figures for 1995 would not yet be available to my Department; (iii) the number of pupils who are due to leave the primary schools in the Drogheda area between 1995 and 1999.

With regard to these figures the estimate at (i) on the following statement was prepared by my Department on the basis of the most up to date information available to it, at the time, on primary enrolments in the Drogheda catchment area. As is the case however in many post primary centres of a similar size such estimates can subsequently be distorted by factors such as: (a) primary school pupils repeating 6th class, (b) cross enrolling with adjacent centres, (c) family movement into and out of the area.

These factors would be relevant in this case.

(i) Primary School Output 1991-95 (Estimated February 1991).

Year	No. of Pupils
1991	932
1991	873
1993	852
1994	881
1995	825

These figures were based on the number of pupils attending primary schools in the Drogheda area at the time.

(ii) The following figures show the total number of pupils who were enrolled in the Drogheda Post Primary Schools each year since 1991:

Year	No. of Pupils
1991	885
1992	857
1993	907
1994	901

(iii) The following figures show the number of pupils who are due to leave primary schools in the Drogheda area each year in the five year period beginning in 1995:

Year	No. of Pupils
1995	863
1996	756
1997	766
1998	732
1999	742

These figures are based on the number of pupils who attended primary schools in the Drogheda area in 1993-94.