Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2018
191. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a planning application has been made for a primary school in the Mooretown area of Swords in view of the fact that the shortage of school places is in the River Valley-Swords-west area of County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26477/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. For school planning purposes Mooretown is located in the Swords school planning area.
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), including an 8-classroom primary school to be established in Swords North in 2019 and an 8-classroom primary school to be established in Swords South in 2019. This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is progressing through architectural planning. The Planning Application was submitted to Fingal County Council on 29 March 2018. A decision to Grant Planning was made on 21 May 2018 with the Final Grant of Planning currently awaited from Fingal County Council.
