Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
314. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education the plans to address the shortage of secondary school places in the Greystones Municipal District; if she is aware of the population growth in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10535/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department.
As part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for admission has been received by the Department from post-primary schools across areas of enrolment pressure, including in Greystones, and updated data on offers and acceptances continues to be received as admissions processes transact.
The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements across the areas. In the majority of areas through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the Department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. However, there is an identified requirement for additional first year places in the Greystones area and the Department has been liaising with schools and patrons in this respect.
My Department is aware that a number of students did not initially receive an offer of a first year place in post primary school in Greystones for the 2024/25 school year and identified a requirement for further increased provision at schools to meet this need.
Following consultation, Greystones Community have recently agreed to increase their first year intake by 2 classes. This will increase available capacity by over 50 first year places. There will be further clarity very shortly regarding further additional provision in the area.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
Schools are required, under the Education Act, to offer places in line with their Admissions Policy, and work through their waiting lists accordingly. Where a student accepts one of the newly-created places, but already has a place in a different school, that original place will become available. My Department will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that there are sufficient places available to meet the overall requirements.
As per population growth, In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The 2023 demographic exercise indicates that 79% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2027 compared with 2022. At post-primary level some 78% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2030, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.
In line with the Department's demographic projections of post primary school place requirements, there has been a continued growth in enrolments throughout many School Planning Areas in County Wicklow. The most recent demographics project a peak year in 2024 and decline thereafter for post primary level in Greystones school planning area. In response, the Department is providing further significant additional post primary capacity, including a new 1,000 pupil school building for Greystones Community College. Greystones Community College was established in 2020 as a regional solution for the Kilcoole and Greystones area. The project to deliver this new school building is at Stage 3, tender stage. The permanent building project will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school with accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The project is being delivered under my Department’s Design & Build programme and is currently at tender stage. The Invitation to Tender issued in April 2023, as part of a bundle of projects issued to my Department's Framework of Design & Build Contractors. The tender process currently takes approximately 8-12 months. Tender returns have been received and are currently being evaluated. Once a Contractor has been appointed, it is anticipated that construction will commence shortly thereafter.
My Department is currently progressing a major building project for Temple Carrig School in Greystones under the National Development Plan. Temple Carrig Secondary School Greystones is also a co-educational school and it was established in 2014. There is a project underway to provide accommodation at this school for 1,000 pupils, which is currently at Stage 1, preliminary design stage. A project for 4 Modular mainstream classrooms has also been approved. These classrooms are now on site and the project is completed.
In addition to the above projects, there is also the existing school in the adjacent Kilcoole School Planning Area, Coláiste Craobh Abhann, for which there is a major project approved to expand the school to 1,000 pupils. This project is currently at Stage 2b and is being delivered by the National Development Finance Agency.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Greystones for the 2024/25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children in the Greystones School Planning Area will receive a first year place.
