Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2023
273. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if her Department plans to rapidly move to build and staff more schools in the Fingal area, in light of the increasing population of the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55885/23]
View answer274. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education how her Department determines the need for more schools in an area; if this need is calculated by the current population of an area; if not, if it is calculated by the prospective population of an area, considering the increasing number of new builds underway in the Fingal area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55886/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, 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.
The total for the population enumerated in Census 2022 was 5,149,139 persons which is an increase of 8% since April 2016. Any change arising from an increase in the number of pupils directly linked to the Census is likely to be marginal in the short term relative to the overall challenge of meeting our targets. This is because we already have the precise enrolment numbers for all of the children covered by the census. The only immediate change is likely to be to the projected intake to infant classes next September but this would already have been tracked through monitoring of child benefit data.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The Deputy references the Fingal Area in his question. This is a large area and is covered by numerous school planning areas including Balbriggan, Rush_Lusk, Donabate, Swords, Malahide_Nevinstown, Skerries, Blanchardstown_West_D15, Blanchardstown_Vge_D15, Castleknock_D15, Muluddart_TyrellstownD15, Donaghmede_Howth_D13, Portmarnock and Whitehall_Santry_D9.
The 2023 demographic exercise indicates that 79% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2027 compared with 2022. At post-primary level some 78% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2030, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.
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.
Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.
