Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020
458. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education if the boundaries surrounding Belmayne, Balgriffan, County Dublin will be reviewed in view of the fact the area has undergone significant development recently which has not been reflected in the school boundaries or the number of school places available for the area. [28408/20]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data in a way that takes account of the significant local and regional variations in demographic trends and enrolment projections, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas.
Using school planning area boundaries within my Department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) allows data within those boundaries, including data for enrolments in schools, child benefit and other relevant data to be added to the mapping information, grouped and analysed.
The school planning areas are used in the demographic exercise as a basis for the assessment of areas of growth and to inform recommendations on the establishment of any new schools required in that school planning area. In urban areas, in particular, data relating to adjacent school planning areas is also used to inform our consideration of requirements.
There are no current plans to revise school planning areas.
