With regard to rapidly developing areas in Dublin, my Department is maximising the use of existing school facilities by providing extensions where site capacity allows along with the provision of new schools on Greenfield sites. This year alone, I authorised six primary school extensions, one post primary extension and six new primary schools to enter architectural planning in Dublin. This level of development is planned to continue with site negotiations at advanced stages for other school projects.
There are two sites in the Dublin area in the ownership of my Department that have yet to be developed. One of these is at Kingswood Heights, Tallaght for a post primary school and the other site is in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin for a primary school. My Department is pursuing an ongoing programme of site acquisitions for school building purposes in many locations throughout the country including the Dublin area. Local Authorities are obliged by statute to refer draft local area development plans to my Department for observation and comment so that lands can be zoned for future education use. There are numerous such sites reserved for education purposes particularly in the rapidly developing areas around Dublin so as to ensure that there will be sufficient land set aside and available for the future development of education infrastructure.