Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
599. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of a shortage of places for all Irish primary education in the Clontarf, Killester and Raheny catchment area; if she has any plans to increase the availability of places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37376/23]
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 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.
While my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in the Killester_Raheny_Clontarf School Planning Area, 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.
• Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
There can be a high degree of inward and outward mobility of children between School Planning Areas, particularly in urban areas, and parents are free to apply to enrol their children in any school, whether that is in the School Planning Area in which they reside or not.
There are 25 Primary schools in the Killester_Raheny_Clontarf School Planning Area. The published school’s enrolment data for the 2022/23 academic year reported 5,846 enrolments in primary schools in the Killester_Raheny_Clontarf School Planning Area. Surveys conducted during the academic year indicated additional available capacity at these schools.
The enrolments for 6th class for 2022 was 723. The intake level at Post Primary for Killester_Raheny_Clontarf School Planning Area is 131% - the intake pattern shows the percentage of children attending 6th class in primary schools in this SPA that enrolled in 1st year in a Post Primary in the SPA in the previous two years. 66% of first years attended primary school within the SPA.
The most recent projections for Killester School Planning Area indicate a slight increase in requirements at post primary level up to 2025 followed by a projected reduction in enrolments thereafter.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across School Planning Areas including in Killester_Raheny_Clontarf SPA.
