Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Jul 1991

Vol. 410 No. 2

Written Answers. - Dublin Post-Primary School Places.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

230 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in the catchment area of the Blakestown Community School, Dublin 15 there are more pupils seeking places in the school than there are places available; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the neighbouring Coolmine Community School and Riversdale Community School are also full as is St. Declan's Secondary School, Navan Road, Dublin 7; if she will give the projections for this general area for the next five years and the number of pupils who will be seeking a second level school place; and if, in the circumstances she is prepared to approve a new second level school somewhere in this general area.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I am aware that in the short/medium term there will be an increase in the number of primary school leavers in Blanchardstown and in the Hartstown-Huntstown area in particular. My Department is carrying out an examination of the greater Blanchardstown area including Hartstown-Huntstown to determine the extent and likely duration of the increasing numbers. Following completion of this review the question of how best to cater for the increasing number of pupils from this area will be examined as a matter of urgency.

The number of Blanchardstown pupils which it is anticipated will be seeking post-primary places in the coming years are as follows: 1991, 876; 1992, 831; 1993, 953; 1994, 962; 1995, 1,057; 1996, 959; 1997, 1,001; 1998, 1,001.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

231 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many parents in the Navan Road and Cabra areas of Dublin 7 are finding it impossible to get a place in any secondary school for their children who finished primary school last week; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that children from outside the immediate vicinity of St. Declan's School are being facilitated there when local children are not; if she will outline the steps she is taking to have these children placed in a convenient secondary school in the academic year commencing next September; if she will further outline the number of children in St. Declan's School from the Castleknock area who would attend a secondary school there had one been provided as promised; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

235 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the number of children in (1) Cabra, (2) Cabra West and (3) Navan Road areas of Dublin 7 who are likely to be seeking secondary school places if she will give a breakdown of these figures into boys and girls; whether there will be enough places in St. Declan's Secondary School for all these boys; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I propose taking Questions Nos. 231 and 235 together. The data requested by the Deputy are set out in a tabular statement:

I am aware that, taking into consideration the areas of Blanchardstown and Castleknock as well as the Navan Road and Cabra areas, some parents are experiencing difficulty in placing their children in the school of their first choice. My Department are concerned to ensure that there are sufficient pupil places between all the schools in the general area to cater for all pupils seeking places. I am satisfied that this requirement is being met for the area in question.

While intake policy is essentially a matter for each post-primary school management, it would be expected that priority would be given to pupils from within a school's own area.

My Department do not have statistics which would indicate the number of Castleknock pupils presently attending St. Declan's secondary school who would have enrolled in a new school in Castleknock, had such been provided.

Following is the statement:

Number of pupils who will be leaving primary schools in the Cabra and Navan Road areas of Dublin in the coming years

	Cabra	Navan Road	Total
	Boys	Girls	Boys	Girls	Boys	Girls
1991	30	126	101	60	131	186
1992	23	118	107	60	130	178
1993	22	102	100	34	122	136
1994	26	81	93	62	119	143
1995	26	97	103	41	129	138
1996	59	83	71	34	130	117
1997	69	85	64	40	133	125
1998	69	85	64	40	133	125

Note: These figures are based on the number of pupils attending primary schools in the Cabra and Navan Road areas in the 1990-91 school year. A separate breakdown for pupils in Cabra West is not available.