Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 January 2024
118. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the existing capacity of second level schools in the Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning area to meet the demand for actual number of additional first year places required for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 school years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3179/24]
View answerThe Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area.
A critical next step for the Department is to establish the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Town, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. This data has been received by my officials and is currently being analysed with a view to establishing the actual requirement for places. Preliminary assessments indicate that duplications of applications, and applications from outside the local area, are very much contributing to enrolment pressures in the town.
The Department is working to clarify the actual requirement for additional school places and to identify particular further capacity requirements for 2024 and forthcoming years. The Department will engage with schools and patrons to put any required solutions in place - beyond those that are already in train - to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.
The information requested by the Deputy is not available at this time. The availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their Admissions legislation. Enrolment data for previous schools years is on available on the Department website. Provisional enrolment data for the 2023/24 school year is available of the Departments website at www.gov.ie
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.
