Vol. 555 No. 3
191 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Science if extra resources will be allocated from his Department to Drogheda in consideration of the massive population increase that now makes Drogheda the largest town in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18546/02]
The process of assessing the need for new educational facilities at primary or post primary level in any given area involves consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing developments and existing school provision serving the area.
As part of the process, my Department monitors county development plans and area action plans and meets local authorities as required to establish the location, scale and pace of major housing developments. An assessment is carried out of the likely implications of such developments in relation to the capacity of any existing schools and, where appropriate, the local authority is requested to reserve a site for educational purposes. In this way, every effort is made to ensure that there is adequate existing provision or that timely arrangements are made to extend capacity where necessary. Liaison with existing schools is important also and these would normally alert my Department where the need for additional accommodation is anticipated.
In the event that the level of development and population growth in an area indicates a long-term need for primary or post-primary educational provision, a decision is made on the means by which that need should be met. Generally, this involves the provision of permanent accommodation in the form of a new school or an extension to existing facilities. Temporary or prefabricated accommodation is normally provided to alleviate short-term accommodation needs and it is open to schools to make application to my Department setting out their requirements in this regard.
My Department will continue to monitor developments in Drogheda and its environs to ensure that any requirement to add to existing school capacity or for new school provision is addressed in a timely manner.
