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Schools Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Questions (406)

David Stanton

Question:

406. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education if work has been carried out by her Department to ascertain if a new second-level school will be required in east County Cork in the next number of years, especially in the Midleton area; if so, the details of projections for such a development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11103/21]

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Written answers

As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, utilising data from a range of sources including information on planned and current residential development, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise.

Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each local authority to obtain the up-to-date data on significant new residential development in each area. My Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within the particular area and its ability to meet increased demand.

Where data indicates that additional provision is required at primary or post primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:

- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

- Provision of a new school or schools.

Following such analysis, a new post primary school, Carrigtwohill Community College, was established in 2016 to serve the the Midleton_Carrigtwohill school planning area.

The requirement for additional school places is kept under on-going review and work on an updated exercise to assess needs for the coming years, including those which may arise in the east Cork school planning areas, is at an advanced stage.

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