Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
281. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which adequate primary school places remain available to children attending primary school in Sallins, County Kildare, in line with the expanding population of the area and the wishes of school management; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31949/23]
View answerIn order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
While my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
Sallins is part of the Naas School Planning Area. There are currently a number of active projects at primary level in the Naas SPA which will increase local capacity, including new school building projects at Mercy Convent Primary School and St Corban’s BNS, and an extension project at Scoil an Linbh Íosa.
My Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in Sallins, as with other areas across the country, under review.
