Jennifer Whitmore
Question:
85. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the shortage of second-level school places in Wicklow for the 2024-2025 academic year; the steps being taken to resolve these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52479/23]
View answer
This question concerns the shortfall of second-level school places in Greystones in Wicklow. We had a Topical Issue debate the other night where I welcomed the Minister's guarantee that all children in the Greystones area will receive a school place for September 2024. I would like to specifically look at the accommodation builds that are being planned, particularly for Greystones Community College. On 3 October, the Department said the anticipated handover of the works is at the end of quarter 2 of 2025, which means we would be back in this exact same situation next year, with a shortage of places.
However, the update from November 2023 says that it will not happen until quarter one of 2026. Can the Minister explain how she will expedite that school build so that the new building for Greystones Community College is up and running for September 2025 and can be used for the intake in Greystones at that point?
Reply to Question No. 85 not given on the floor of the House:
I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department. Since 2018 and to the end of October 2023, a total of €145 million has been invested in school infrastructure in County Wicklow. This significant capital investment includes a recently delivered major building project to expand St. David’s Secondary School in Greystones. State-of-the-art, modern school accommodation for 750 pupils was provided at this school.
In line with the Department's demographic projections of post-primary school place requirements, there has been a continued growth in enrolments throughout many school planning areas in County Wicklow. In response, the Department is providing further significant additional post-primary capacity, including a new 1,000 pupil school building for Greystones Community College. Greystones Community College was established in 2020 as a regional solution for the Kilcoole and Greystones area. The project to deliver this new school building is at stage 3, tender stage. In addition, there is a project under way for Blessington Community College which, once complete, will provide accommodation for 1,000 pupils. Planning permission has been obtained and the project is currently at Stage 2B, detailed design and pre-tender stage. Projects to deliver new school buildings for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School and Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School are also planned. Both of these schools were established in response to projected demographic growth in the county. There are many further school building projects at other post-primary schools across Wicklow.
Nevertheless, my Department is aware of pressures at post-primary level in certain school planning areas throughout County Wicklow pending the delivery of these very significant school building projects. The annual enrolment process for new junior infants at primary and new first years at post-primary is a very large scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. In the context of post-primary enrolment pressures in some areas of County Wicklow, a critical next step is to acquire clarity on the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in Greystones and Kilcoole have been requested to share data on applications for admissions with my Department. My Department has requested this data as soon as possible and, once it is received, there will be better clarity on the actual requirement for places. It is hoped this data will be received in the shortest timeframe possible to allow for planning to begin on any specific actions which are required.
To further inform our planning, school management bodies are assisting with a detailed analysis of school capacity in the area, taking account of school-specific factors such as current class groupings and subject offerings. My Department is also engaging with patrons and schools with regard to school place needs more broadly across the county. This close engagement will allow the Department to identify particular further capacity requirements for the forthcoming years and put any further required solutions in place. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all children will receive a school place.
