Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:202 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will list the primary schools and the number of places available in each school in the Dublin 4 area. [7392/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 3 March 2005
Ceisteanna (202, 203)
Freagraí scríofa
The primary schools operating in Dublin 4 and their current enrolment are as follows: 18569J, St. Declan's Special School, Northumberland Road, 44 pupils; 15253N, SN Naomh Pádraig, Cambridge Road, 130 pupils; 19727G, St. Mary's Central NS, Belmont Avenue, 248 pupils; 11894I, Scoil Mhuire, Dumhach Tragh, 271 pupils; 16567S, St. Brigid's Convent NS, Haddington Road, 198 pupils; 17279S, Scoil Mhuire, Haddington Road, 125 pupils; 03917V, Naomh Pádraig Boys, Ringsend, 92 pupils; 15995L, Canon O'Hanlon Memorial School, Sandymount, 314 pupils; 18282M, SN Paróiste Maitiú NFA, Cranfield Place, 91 pupils; 18370J, Íoclann na Pailirise Sp. School, Sandymount, 56 pupils; 20103V, John Scottus National School, Northumberland Road, 218 pupils.
The exact capacity of each school is not readily available. I would like to point out to the Deputy, however, that increasing space norms and reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio combined with significant increases in ex-quota staff in recent years effectively mean that the actual number of classrooms in a school may not directly relate to its capacity.
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:203 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the projections for growth in demand for primary school places in the Dublin 4 area; the basis on which the calculations have been made; the consultations she has had with principals and boards of management of primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7393/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary or post-primary level in any given area entails consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing and other developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places.
As part of this process, my Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans for comment. As a matter of course meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and their possible implications for school provision.
With regard to the planning of educational provision in areas of proposed regeneration, the Department seeks to optimise the use of existing provision in the first instance. It is necessary to adopt this approach due to the limited availability and prohibitive costs of new sites in such areas.
Officials in the Department's school planning section are strengthening contacts with local authorities to enable informed decisions to be made in planning future educational provision. For example, a specific forum, the Dublin School Planning Committee, chaired by officials of the Department, interacts with the Dublin local authorities. This forum comprises representatives of the local authorities in Dublin together with representatives of the patron bodies of primary schools and works proactively in monitoring demographic changes and their likely impact.
With regard to the Dublin 4 area, enrolment in primary schools is in general decline and I am satisfied that existing capacity is adequate to meet current and emerging demand. The Department has not been made aware of any particular difficulties being experienced by parents seeking school places for their children in this general area.
If the management authority of any school in particular is experiencing an increase in demand and is unable to meet this demand it should contact the Department's school planning section. A decision on the school's application will be made as soon as possible.