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Schools Building Projects Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 November 2013

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Questions (225, 226)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

225. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the precise feeder area for a school (details supplied); if he will include maps and/or list of estates included in the feeder area; if the feeder area has changed from Ballinteer-Stepaside as recommended by FPS in 2012 to Stepaside-Carrickmines; if so, when this change occurred and the criteria used for making this change; the criteria used in the selection of the Ballyogan site, specifically relating to proximity to proven demand for Irish language medium education in Ballyogan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50371/13]

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Charlie McConalogue

Question:

226. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) is being permanently moved out of Stepaside to a site in Ballyogan, Carrickmines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50372/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together.

Following detailed study of the demographic increases and the capacity of existing schools, my Department identified the need for the establishment of a new school to provide additional capacity for a 2 stream junior infant intake in the Ballinteer/ Stepaside area. Applications were invited from potential patrons for the new school. Following analysis of the expressed parental preferences that formed part of those applications, the New Schools Establishment Group recommended that two new schools should be established to serve the area, each to cater for a single stream of junior infant intake. One of the new schools is an English language medium school under the patronage of Educate Together and the second new school is an Irish language medium school under the patronage of An Foras Patrunachta.

As the Deputy may be aware, there is an existing Irish language medium school already located in the general area referred to. The question of location for the new Irish language medium school was therefore considered in the context of providing access to both Irish language medium schools to as great a number of pupils as possible. I should point out that Irish language medium schools (similar to many multi-denominational English medium schools) frequently make the point to my Department that the feeder or catchment areas for their schools tend to be considerably larger than those of the more traditional parish schools. It was logical therefore to locate the two Irish language medium schools at a remove from each other and thus provide the option of an Irish language medium school within a reasonable distance to a greater number of families and pupils in the area. This approach is supported by the patron of the two Irish language medium schools in question and is very much in line with the thrust of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030.

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