Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2023
269. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Education whether the remit to set the secondary schools geographical catchment area for its admissions policy always rests with the board of management of the schools, even in the case of a school (details supplied) which was established as a regional solution for a lack of capacity across two school planning areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33623/23]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. It uses a Geographic Information System, drawing 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.
On the basis of demographic demand identified by the Department, Edmund Rice College was established in 2017 to serve the Castleknock_D15 and Carpenterstown_D15 school planning areas as a regional solution, and is located in the Castleknock_D15 school planning area.
New schools established since 2011 to meet demographic demand, such as the Edmund Rice College, are required, in the first instance, to prioritise pupil applications from within the designated school planning area(s) which the school was established to serve. This does not preclude schools from enrolling pupils from outside of the school planning area(s) where they have sufficient places; rather it reflects the need to accommodate in the first instance the demographic for which the school was established.
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 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area.
