Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 1997

Vol. 482 No. 3

Written Answers. - Pupil Numbers.

Richard Bruton

Question:

390 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the projection, if any, for the level of births in each of the years in 1996, 2000 and 2010 which underpin the current departmental projections of future pupil numbers; and whether the reversal in the decline in births since 1994 creates any need to revise those projections. [17864/97]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The data requested by the Deputy are given in the following table:

Year	Number of Births
1996*	50,400
2000	51,600
2010	49,700

* The figure in relation to 1996 is the actual number of births in that year.

The CSO publish quarterly statistics on the number of births. On the basis of the level and trend of recent births, the Department continually revises its projections of pupil numbers. The reversal in the decline in births since 1994 has therefore already been taken into account and the Department has already revised its projections of pupil numbers accordingly.