Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 January 2015
861. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the limiting of the numbers of Gaelscoileanna around the State by patrons who seek to defend numbers at competitor schools (details supplied) within their responsibility. [1705/15]
View answerThe Department is in contact with the school Patron relating to enrolments in the primary schools in the first area to which the Deputy refers, including the gaelscoil in that area. The Department understands that the Patron is consulting directly with the schools involved in relation to the enrolment matters being raised. The Department will continue to liaise with the Patron, who has ultimate responsibility for the governance and management of the schools. In relation to the second school referred to, the Department has not received any correspondence relating to the matter raised by the Deputy. My Department's current five-year construction plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to accommodate increasing pupil numbers. Therefore, the establishment of any new school, or the extension of any existing school, is considered in the context of the overall need for additional school places to meet future demographic demands. This may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic review to determine where additional primary school places might be needed from 2015 onwards. On foot of this review, it has been determined that there is sufficient educational infrastructure in the areas to which the Deputy refers to meet their demographic needs.
