Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 September 2019
262. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that more than ten children failed to secure a primary school place in Rathcoole, County Dublin, for the school year 2019/2020 and many have had to return to pre-school; the actions he will take to ensure all local eligible children can secure a primary school place in Rathcoole in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37756/19]
View answerMy Department's has not been made aware that more than 10 pupils were unable to secure a primary school place in Rathcoole for the 2019/2020 school year.
As the Deputy will be aware, in April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 8 classroom primary school to be established in 2020 to serve the Newcastle_Rathcoole/Saggart school planning area. This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
The requirement for new schools will be kept under on-going review and in particular will have regard to the impact of the increased roll out of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040. My Department will also continue to monitor areas where the accommodation of existing schools may need to be expanded in order to meet the needs of the local population. Rathcoole is also an area of growing demographic demand and additional residential development and my Department is actively reviewing the potential need to establish a new primary school in Rathcoole.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved two temporary classrooms and a Special Education Teaching room for Scoil Chronain National School, Rathcoole in 2018 to provide for immediate additional school places. In addition, my Department approved 2 further mainstream temporary classrooms for Scoil Chronain in April 2019 to cater for further additional primary school places in Rathcoole.
