Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
283. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a feasibility study has been carried out by his Department for a second-level Educate Together school on the north side of Dublin due to the increase in Educate Together primary schools in the north Dublin area and strong support from parents for such second-level provision. [12850/14]
View answerIn June of 2011, I announced that some 20 new post-primary schools would be established over the coming years to meet demographic needs. Following on from that announcement, prospective patron bodies were invited to apply for patronage of the schools under new arrangements for determining patronage for the schools. These arrangements, which are overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group, place a heavy focus on parental choice and allow for the introduction or widening of diversity of school provision where parents want this. Under this process, there was sufficient viable parental demand for Educate Together patronage for the proposed new schools on the north side of Dublin in Blanchardstown West and Balbriggan. These school are opening in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
My Department continues to analyse demographic data to identify where further new primary and post-primary schools may be required from 2016 onwards. It will be open to all patron bodies, including Educate Together, to apply for patronage of any such schools in line with the established patronage determination process outlined above.
