As the Deputy will be aware, a new school planning model involving published area development plans is being piloted in five areas over the current school year. Laytown is included in the pilot scheme as part of an overall plan for the north Dublin, east Meath, south Louth area. The need for a new post-primary school in that area will be considered in this context.
The purpose of this new approach to school planning is to ensure that in future the provision of school infrastructure will be decided only after a transparent consultation process. Parents, trustees, sponsors of prospective new school and all interested parties from a locality will have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the process. Arising from this process, an individual plan will set out the blueprint for the future of educational provision in an area, which will be the basis on which all decisions about capital investment will be made for the next decade.
The draft plan for the north Dublin, east Meath and south Louth area is nearing completion in the school planning section of my Department and I hope to be in a position to publish it soon.