Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
66. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will increase funding and resources to ensure that no child is left without an appropriate school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6684/24]
View answerEvery child in this country deserves and should be provided with an appropriate school place in their community. However, that is not what is happening. There are children in different parts of this country who are faced with having to travel far outside of their communities for a school place, whether for primary or secondary school. In some extreme circumstances, they are only left with the choice of being tutored at home. I have specific examples to give. We need action on this.
While some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2024-25, I assure families and all children who require a school place that such a place will be provided for them for the 2024-25 school year. I do not, for one minute, underestimate the challenges and stress families are facing but we are clear that positions will be made available for students for the 2024-25 school year.
Since 2020, the Department has invested in the region of €4.3 billion in our schools throughout the country, including investment in the completion of over 800 school building projects. Construction is currently under way on approximately 300 other projects, including 34 new school buildings. It is an absolute priority of the Department to ensure every child in the State has access to a school place that is appropriate to his or her needs and we are continually investing in existing and new schools to ensure this is the case. Testament to this is that in response to demographic growth at post-primary level, school building projects completed in 2023 delivered over 7,000 additional mainstream post-primary school places. School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. We also have a large modular accommodation programme delivering urgently needed school places. This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for school communities.
This capital investment is underpinned by a robust school planning approach that uses 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 utilised for this purpose. In addition, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department’s projections of school place requirements.
There are 1 million learners across 4,000 primary and post-primary schools. Based on primary level enrolments, growth in post-primary enrolments is projected to continue in many parts of the country. In addition, due to strong residential construction and planning activity, we can expect to see increasing demand in particular towns and areas.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
In the area of special education, the National Council for Special Education has forecast continued significant growth in the requirements for special classes at post-primary level and my Department is working towards the provision of an average of four special classes in every post-primary school. To meet these requirements, the Department has 450 large-scale and additional school accommodation scheme projects at various stages of planning and delivery at post-primary schools across the country. Furthermore, where a requirement is identified for expedited delivery of additional capacity, my Department utilises modern methods of construction, including its modular accommodation framework, to provide required accommodation.
While there can be enrolment pressures in some areas, it is important to note this may sometimes not be a result of a lack of accommodation but may be driven by factors such as the duplication of applications and applications from outside the local area. Notwithstanding this, in some areas there can be an underlying requirement for additional school places. In that context, as part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for admission is being shared with my Department by post-primary schools across areas of enrolment pressure. The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements.
In the majority of areas, through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the Department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. The Department is working with schools and patrons to make additional places available in areas where a need for more places has been identified.
The Minister said that every child will get an appropriate school place. Is she saying to the parents in Citywest, many of whom have contacted me to say that they do not have primary school places for their children, that they will get places for their children in Citywest? At the moment, they are being told something else. For example, one was told by a principal that her daughter could do another year in preschool and reapply next year because the schools were all oversubscribed and she is far down on the waiting list. Another parent explained to me how the only alternative her family is currently faced with is for her daughter to go to school in Brittas, which will mean her husband having to give up work to drop her out there. Is the Minister saying to me that she is going to ensure these families will have appropriate primary school places for their children in Citywest?
I am clearly saying to the Deputy that if there are specific cases he needs to bring to the attention of the Department, I will be very happy to deal with them. We in the Department are committed to ensuring that every child has an appropriate place for the 2024-25 school year, whether at primary or post-primary level. With regard to special education provision, we are equally determined to ensure that every child has a place appropriate to his or her needs. The NCSE would tell us that we have successfully achieved that for the 2023-24 school year. We have invested a considerable amount of money up to this point. We have completed more than 800 projects in the lifetime of this Government. There are 300 projects currently at various stages of construction. We will continue to engage with school patrons, management bodies and schools on the ground. If the Deputy has specific queries he wants to bring to my attention, I will ensure they are followed up on.
I thank the Minister. I will send on details of these various families in Citywest. Citywest is a very good example. I hope that by September, everyone will have an appropriate place in Citywest but the fact that we are at this point is a reflection of a lack of planning. Citywest must be one of the fastest growing areas in the country in terms of population. Development after development is going up. Planning has been developer-led and most of this has been done through the SHD process without community infrastructure and clearly without the Department of Education planning for the bulge in the number of children that was going to arise, the need for places that would arise and the need to have those places ready to go. There has been an absence of planning up to this point. That means we are in a bit of a crisis situation. The Department needs to intervene to ensure the places are there.
I want to be very clear; the Department carries out considerable forward planning. We have a geographical information system that allows us to look at current data and projected data. We engage with local authorities, school patrons and management bodies. We are consistently planning forward. That can be seen in the 300 projects currently under construction, which I have mentioned. That includes brand-new schools and additional accommodation. More than 800 school building projects have been provided for over the past number of years since the present Government was installed. Some €4.3 billion has been expended on school building programmes. We will continue to engage. I have directly engaged with local authorities, as have my officials. We have also engaged with the LDA. We engage with whoever we need to engage with.
It is a fact that a significant amount of housing is being provided for. Obviously, where housing goes education must also go. We are in the throes of ensuring this is the case.
