Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2017
198. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 18 May 2017, when he expects that teaching will begin on this site; and the estimated timeline for the process for the school, including completing agreements, selecting patronage and building the school. [25799/17]
View answerWith regard to specific school provision for the site referred to by the Deputy, my Department is currently engaged in a review of demographics which will determine the extent of new school provision required nationwide.
Initial projections indicate additional demand at both primary and post-primary level across both the school planning area where the site is situated and the adjoining school planning areas.
Where a requirement for additional schools has been identified, details including proposed timelines related to the opening of the schools will be made known by a Ministerial announcement. A patronage assessment process will be carried out to determine who will operate such schools.
As the Deputy will be aware, the patronage assessment process includes the opportunity for parents to express their preference for a particular school model. These parental preferences are key to decisions made regarding patronage of all new schools.
