School Placement

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 April 2014

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Questions (227)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

227. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the current lack of secondary school places in the Castleknock-Carpenterstown area of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17395/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Enrolments at post-primary level in the area referred to by the Deputy have been increasing in recent years and it is in that context that my Department established a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school for the area in 2009. There are now four post-primary schools in the feeder area. These schools can, between them, cater for over 600 first year pupils each year. The four schools enrolled 556 first year pupils in the 2013-14 academic year. Therefore, there is capacity for an additional 50 plus first-year pupils to be enrolled in the 2014/2015 academic year. Should further additional accommodation be required, it is open to the schools in question to apply to my Department for accommodation to meet these needs. In the meantime my Department continues to analyse demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where further school accommodation might be needed. This analysis will include the Castleknock-Carpenterstown area.