Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2016
393. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the provision of a new secondary school for the Malahide and Portmarnock area of County Dublin, as announced in November 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8254/16]
View answer394. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a new secondary school for the Swords area of County Dublin, as announced in November 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8255/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 393 and 394 together.
My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and information from my Department's own databases.
The outcome of the latest demographic exercises was that in November 2015, I announced the establishment of 13 new schools to open nationwide in 2017 and 2018 to cater for increased demographic needs. One of the new post-primary schools will serve the Swords school planning area and one will serve the Malahide and Portmarnock school planning areas. Both new schools are scheduled to open in 2017 and both are included in my Department's six year construction programme (2016-2021). Details on the progress of all projects on this programme will be published on my Department's website and this will be updated regularly.
New school establishment procedures provide that a process is conducted to select the patron of a new school. This process is due to take place shortly for the new schools to be established in 2017. The new school patronage process is open to all patrons (and prospective patrons) who will be required to provide evidence of parental demand for their particular type of school.
