Thomas Byrne
Ceist:35. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years. [22703/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 May 2018
Ceisteanna (35)
Freagraí ó Béal (7 píosaí cainte)
This first education question relates to the announcement of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, of €500 million in building costs planned for school buildings over the next four years. Half of that is scheduled for September next year. It is urgent that the Minister gives us an update. Parents are wondering where are the schools they were promised. We are now looking at enrolling our children in particular schools and we do not have any information from the Minister about the schools he is planning.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years, 2019 to 2022. This announcement follows a nationwide demographic exercise carried out by the Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country. The four year horizon will enable increased lead times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of the additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each area and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following: utilising existing unused capacity with a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools; or the provision of a new school or schools.
A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on the demographic analysis, that a new school is required. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. Parental preferences for each patron, from parents of children who reside in the school planning area concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process. The patronage process for new schools is overseen by an external independent advisory group, the new schools establishment group, NSEG. Following its consideration of my Department’s assessment reports, the NSEG submits a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations for all such patronage processes are made available on my Department's website.
An online patronage process system, OPPS, is currently being developed by my Department to provide objective information to all parents. That will allow them to make an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education. Parental preferences are currently collected based on direct engagement with patron bodies. An initial phased start-up is envisaged for the new schools, which typically involves the use of interim accommodation. However, this is the first time the requirement for new schools is set out over a four year horizon. This will provide a better lead-in period for the planning and delivery of permanent accommodation solutions. Following on from the announcement, the locations for all of the schools will be determined as part of the site acquisition process.
That was an extraordinary answer. There was a lot of information and confusion. I am going to have to follow up with some other questions. The Minister spent the majority of the time talking about the patronage process. Frankly, that is the least of our concerns. Our main concerns relate to the premises for the schools. He also seemed to indicate a rowing back on this particular commitment. I would like to clarify that point. He mentioned three options: using existing unused capacity; extending existing capacity; or the provision of a new school. Is that in respect of the 42 schools announced a month ago? Is the Minister announcing an expansion of existing schools and not new schools? Is that what he is saying in that answer?
I can talk about my own constituency until the cows come home. What is the position in Dunshaughlin, in Laytown, in Drogheda, in Duleek and in all of the schools? Parents are wondering where are these schools and what is the update from the Minister. He has not given me an update. He merely set out the patronage process which we know. That will follow on from the most important work of finding the places to put these schools.
The Deputy will have to ask a more precise question. He asked about the status of the plans for the 42 new schools. As a result, I explained that the 42 were selected from 314 areas. In deciding which areas got new schools, we looked at where there was capacity in existing schools to expand. That is how the figure of 42 was reached. A patron selection process will now be initiated. We will be inviting patrons to submit their application to run these schools, where they are identified. The planning areas, which are geographically determined, are the areas within which parents will be assessed. The precise location will be identified with the local authority, as we do in all such cases. At this stage we are identifying areas where we need new schools. We are initiating that planning process and we are developing the various elements required to be completed in order to decide the patron, the parents' views, the decision of the establishment group and then the site issue.
My question was extremely precise. We want an update on plans for the 42 new schools. It can be assumed that I want to know how many sites have been acquired and how schools have been established. In his reply, the Minister said that areas that need new schools are being identified. We all thought that these areas had been identified. I want to know what is the status of plans. The Minister's announcement on 13 April looks like it was a public relations puff piece. There is no substance to it whatsoever. He cannot provide any update in respect of any site or any particular school.
Some of these schools are programmed to be established in September 2019. It is common for children and parents in fifth class to tour around secondary schools to decide what schools they might like to go to in particular parts of the country. That is ongoing now. It has already started. Six weeks after the announcement, the Minister will not give me any update on the schools he is establishing in September 2019. How are parents supposed to know that there may be an opportunity to attend schools? It is similar with new primary schools. There is no information for people. The patronage process will follow on very easily and quickly once the sites have been established. The challenge for the Minister is to put substance on his announcement. He failed to do that today.
The Deputy does not understand the way this works. Scores of areas had ambitions to have new schools. The Department undertook a demographic exercise looking at the enrolment in existing schools, at birth and at housing developments identified by local authorities. It picked the 42 areas based on that information where it believed the demographic need would have to be met by establishing a new school. That is the process that was completed and the results announced. It was not a site acquisition plan. That was not what was announced and that was clear at the time. The issue of identifying the site is one that the Department works on - as Deputy Byrne knows - with local authorities. In some cases, local authorities designate sites as part of their planning process. That has been the case in a number of areas of Dublin; in others, it has not. We have to work with local authorities and others to identify sites. What I have seen in many cases is that these schools start in temporary accommodation and a site is then identified for their development. That is the way it has been. It works well.
I was not looking for a commentary. What is the Minister, Deputy Bruton, doing in respect of his own announcement?