Thomas Byrne
Ceist:57. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to locate a second level school in the general Duleek and east County Meath area. [44943/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 25 October 2017
Ceisteanna (57)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The System uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. It is anticipated that decisions based on the latest demographic exercises will be announced later in 2017.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools
- Provision of a new school or schools.
Duleek is located in the Drogheda school planning area, in which there are 7 post-primary schools, including a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school, Ballymakenny College, established in 2014. Two new post-primary schools also opened in County Meath since 2013, Colaiste na Mí, Navan and De Lacy College, Ashbourne, which will provide 2,000 school places between them once completed.
My Department is keeping the school planning areas in County Meath under ongoing review to take account of updated child benefit data and updated enrolment data and also the impact of capacity increases in the school planning areas.