Vol. 570 No. 2
317 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science if permission will be given to the development of a Church of Ireland school at Clonsilla on the site reserved for school purposes to meet the needs of the growing Church of Ireland community in the Dublin 15 and surrounding area. [18754/03]
Based on the recommendations of the Commission on School Accommodation, I have put in place a revised application procedure for new national schools seeking official recognition. The revised procedure applies to schools intending to commence operation from 1 September 2003 onwards. As part of this new arrangement applications for new schools are assessed by the new schools advisory committee, which consults with interested parties and reports to me.
The timeframe for applications for schools intending to commence operation in September 2004 will be published shortly by my Department and will be notified to all patron bodies, including the Church of Ireland Board of Education. If an application is received from the Church of Ireland Board of Education in respect of the establishment of a new primary school in Clonsilla, this will be considered in the prescribed manner.
318 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the crisis in relation to lack of second level school places in the Dublin 15 area and particularly, in the Hansfield, Littlepace and Castaheny area; his plans to provide second level school places for the children of the area; and the locations in which the additional school places are to be provided. [18755/03]
My Department has recently been made aware of a situation relating to a number of pupils who have not been allocated a place at Castleknock community college, Dublin 15, for September 2004. The position in the Dublin 15 area generally is quite complex because, while some schools in the area are full to capacity, others are in a position to offer places. Department officials will make contact with all of the schools concerned to determine how the anticipated difficulty in September 2004 can be averted and to reiterate the need for a co-operative enrolment process in the area.
The need for additional second level places in the developing areas of Dublin 15, that is, Hansfield, Littlepace and Castaheny has been considered in my Department and as a result a six hectare site has been reserved for educational purposes in the Hansfield SDZ area. A time-frame for acquisition of the site and the development of educational facilities thereon will be dictated by a number of factors, including the rate and pace of housing developments and the availability of capital funding.
319 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans his Department has made for the development of a secondary school in Hansfield, Littlepace and Castaheny; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are now over 4,000 houses built and occupied in this area, with a further several thousand houses to be developed, including the Government's strategic development zone at Hansfield; if his Department has set about acquiring the reserved site for a post primary school in the area; if his Department has made contact with County Dublin VEC in order to provide for the running of the school; and when he expects the post primary school for the Castaheny, Littlepace and Hansfield area to be open for students. [18756/03]
320 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department has committed to the establishment of a primary school at Hansfield special development zone as designated by the Government; if he has a timetable for the acquisition of the primary school site at Hansfield; if his Department has set aside funding for the proposed school; and when it is proposed that his Department will establish and open such a school. [18757/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 319 and 320 together.
The need for educational provision at primary and post-primary level in the Hansfield area of Dublin has been considered by my Department. As a result, Fingal County Council was requested to reserve a six hectare site within the SDZ for the future education needs of the population of Hansfield. This site is to the west of the village centre. A timeframe for acquisition of the site and the development of educational facilities thereon will be dictated by a number of factors, including the rate and pace of housing developments and the availability of capital funding. My Department will continue to monitor developments in the Hansfield, Littlepace and Castaheny areas with a view to providing sufficient pupil places at both primary and post-primary level to meet the growing demand in these areas.
