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School Facilities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Questions (63)

Alan Farrell

Question:

63. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on efforts to develop facilities at a school (details supplied) in County Dublin to meet growing demand in the years ahead; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4610/22]

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Oral answers (12 contributions)

This question relates to one of the fastest growing communities in the country, namely, Dublin 15, Swords and Balbriggan and, in particular, the provision of school facilities in Swords.

As the Deputy will no doubt be aware, there has been significant growth in post-primary student numbers in the Swords area in recent years. Across the Swords school planning area, total post-primary enrolments have increased by over 800 pupils since 2011. Enrolments at Fingal Community College have grown by over 300 in that same timeframe and additional accommodation was provided at the school in 2015 and 2016 in order to address the increased pupil numbers.

In the context of further increasing pupil numbers at Fingal Community College the school submitted an application for capital funding under my Department's additional school accommodation scheme. An interim solution to meet the needs of the school was put in place. However, as part of the assessment process for an additional school accommodation application my officials consider not just the existing enrolments at the school, but also anticipated future needs in order to make full and appropriate provision for both current and future students. To anticipate school place requirements, my Department uses a geographical information system, utilising statistical models, child benefit data, school enrolment figures, information on residential development activity, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets and other relevant data. The most recent projections of post-primary school place requirements in the Swords school planning area show continued growth in requirements over the coming years.

Having considered the existing accommodation at the school relative to both current and long-term needs in the area, it was determined that there should be significant additional permanent accommodation provision at Fingal Community College. However, the school site is extremely constrained and this presents significant challenges in delivering the required volume of accommodation. In that context, my Department is working to formulate an appropriate long-term plan to meet the needs of the school and deliver the required accommodation in consultation with the school's patron, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board, ETB.

A number of potential options are being explored in this regard and the Deputy will appreciate that to identify the optimum solution for this school, it is necessary to undertake a full and thorough technical appraisal of these options, which takes some time. Pending the delivery of this long-term solution, the Department will continue to work with Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB as school patron to ensure any necessary interim accommodation requirements are met.

I thank the Minister for her comprehensive response. I am pleased to hear the level of detail the Department has gone into in its planning for additional accommodation at the school and a long-term solution. For the benefit of the other Deputies present, when one thinks about a secondary school one thinks about large yards, perhaps a couple of football pitches and things like that. This school has a basketball court and that is it. There are 880 students on site. They have been there since 1985 and, through no fault of anyone, the site was overdeveloped and it is as simple as that.

I welcome the Government's capital plan for 2019 to 2022, which identified 45 schools and left no constituency untouched, or no county at least. Swords has benefited from a brand new 1,000-pupil school, Swords Community College, which is now fully completed and occupied up to fourth year. It is important for us to identify that this site is bang in the middle of the community. It is ideal for schooling but, unfortunately, the school has expanded beyond its boundaries. The outside recreational space for students is bordering on unhealthy.

I appreciate the case that the Deputy makes. I recognise the necessity for the area. The key issue is that the school site is extremely constrained, as the Deputy identified. That is presenting considerable challenges in delivering the required volume of accommodation necessary for the school. It is a tribute to the school that it is growing. The Department is heavily committed to working to formulate an appropriate long-term solution to meet the accommodation needs of the school. We are doing that. I acknowledge the co-operation of the school's patron, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB. A number of different, appropriate options are being explored. The Deputy will appreciate that, for every option, there needs to be a considered evaluation and that is a time constraint. I assure the Deputy that priority is being given to this matter.

I thank the Minister and completely understand her position. To put the matter in context again, in the census that will be completed later this year, Swords is expected to exceed 50,000 residents. Fingal County Council has long projected that by the end of the 2030s the population will be over 100,000 and, therefore, this sort of planning and the level of detail the Minister has outlined is entirely necessary. I commend her and the Department on all the work they are doing.

Other schools have benefited from expansions in recent years. There is also the new school in the form of Swords Community College in the north west of the community. There is a growing demand for diversity in education, particularly as that relates to Gaelcholáistí. There are two Gaelscoileanna in the community but there is no Gaelcholáiste, and that is an issue I will come back to in the future. I thank the Minister for dealing with the question.

I wish to mention something briefly along the lines of what the previous speaker has said.

Is it related to this question?

It is. There is a similar school, Lissycasey National School, in my constituency. I was there on Monday morning with local Councillor P.J. Kelly. Accommodation has been green-lighted but the needs do not stop there. There is a need for a sensory garden and additional parking. I believe the matter is before the Department and I ask the Minister to try to expedite it.

That contribution was not on the same question.

It was linked to the question. It referred to the same issue in a different county.

I thank the Deputies. I appreciate their points and the acknowledgement there is an absolute commitment on the part of the Department to the advancement of the school Deputy Farrell mentioned.

On the point raised by Deputy Crowe, I can confirm the school to which he referred has been approved for a project under the Department's additional accommodation scheme. The project will provide for one mainstream classroom and a two-classroom special educational needs base. I am also pleased to inform the Deputy that the Department approved this project to proceed to construction in May of 2021. The project is currently on site. The school has recently submitted a request for additional funding for the project to provide a sensory garden, hard play and soft play areas and six car parking spaces. I am pleased to inform the Deputy of our agreement in principle to provide the additional funding in question, subject to agreement being reached on the costs associated with the proposal. My officials have written to the school to seek further information and clarification on the cost of these additions, including whether cost-saving measures can be achieved.

That is fantastic. I thank the Minister.

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