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Schools Building Projects

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 September 2021

Thursday, 23 September 2021

Questions (152)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

152. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education if funding will be allocated for the construction of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45235/21]

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Written answers

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, this Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.

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.

New schools are established in response to demographic demand as identified through such analysis and a patronage process is then conducted, which takes into account parental preferences in relation to the patronage and language of instruction, i.e. Irish or English, of the new school. Parental preferences, as well as other considerations such as the extent of diversity of provision in an area (including Irish-medium provision), are key to the decision-making process and in relation to whether the new school would take the form of an Irish-medium Gaelcholáiste or whether, if English-medium, the school would include an Irish-medium unit or "Aonad".

The most recent projections for the Swords school planning area does not indicate a requirement for the establishment of a new post-primary school.

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