Sorca Clarke
Ceist:56. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education her plans to tackle the oversubscription of secondary schools across Ireland. [16256/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 16 April 2024
Ceisteanna (56)
Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
Could the Minister outline to the House her plans to tackle the oversubscription of secondary schools across the country?
I assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary levels, including those with special educational needs, is an absolute priority for the Department and, indeed, the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department's demographic projections utilise various data sources, such as current enrolment figures, child benefit records, census information, residential development data and migration patterns, among others. Projections are developed across 314 school planning areas and at a more granular settlement level in urban areas with higher residential construction activity and population growth.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area. It is important to note that enrolment pressure may not result from a lack of accommodation but may be driven by other factors. These can include the duplication of applications, whereby pupils will have applied for a place to a number of schools in their area, and school of choice, whereby pupils might not get a place in their preferred school although there will be places in others in the area. Some areas have single-sex schools, and while places may be available therein they may not be available to all pupils. There is also the question of the external draw, whereby pupils come from outside the local area. In this context, oversubscription of a school or schools is not necessarily representative of a deficit of school places.
Approximately 75,000 first-year students enrol in post-primary schools across the country every year, and in the vast majority of cases there is sufficient provision across the schools in their areas to meet the local school place needs. While total post-primary enrolments are expected to remain at a high level in the coming years, the demographic profile is such that first-year numbers have begun to decline in over two-thirds of school planning areas. Such a decline is expected across the majority of school planning areas in the coming years.
Since 2020, the Department has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 800 school building projects and with construction currently under way on approximately 300 other projects, including 31 new school buildings. The 300 projects in construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2 billion.
The question I have for the Minister is quite straightforward. She speaks of the demographic analyses of her Department to project enrolment but I do not believe the basis of the calculations is correct. It needs to be adjusted. The Minister spoke about child benefit. This will still be paid regardless of whether a child lives in Wexford and then moves to Sligo. Therefore, it does not serve as the basis for something that can stand up to very much scrutiny. The reason parents are duplicating applications is that they are not confident their child will get into the nearest school to them. This was recognised in the initial stages of the school transport review. The criterion was extended to include the second-nearest post-primary school. This has been recognised by the Government over the years.
Through the 300 projects the Minister mentioned, how much additional capacity will be delivered? How much of the funding put aside in the past two years was to build or repurpose existing accommodation, and what is the existing capacity that will be delivered under that?
There is a quite robust planning unit within the Department, specifically within the planning and building unit. It has a very comprehensive geographical information system, a system that relies on a variety of data, not just data on child benefit. It also relies on other information available, including CSO figures. There is very proactive engagement on the ground with local authorities, particularly those planning to have new housing developments come on stream. There is also direct engagement with school authorities and patron bodies. Therefore, there is a very full and robust view of the requirements, notwithstanding that they can vary from time to time owing to the fact that there can be exceptional circumstances in an area. We have seen this in the past while for a variety of reasons.
Over the past four years, more than €4.5 billion has been expended. There is a variety of projects, including additional accommodation, new builds, and modular accommodation if required in the short term. I am sure the House knows that most of the modular accommodation is very modern and as good as anything we would get with bricks and mortar.
I understand the financials that the Minister has issued and has spoken about, but I still do not hear a definitive number for what the increase in capacity will be. People, particularly those outside urban areas, are choosing to come to live in smaller towns and villages. They are most welcome to leave the bigger cities, set up in those towns and villages, make them their homes and work and raise their families there. Increasingly, we are seeing that these people are not able to get their children into local schools. That is a reflection of society. A significant number of people do not own their own homes; they rent instead. This means that they may choose, for whatever reason, or be forced into a position of needing to seek alternative accommodation, which has an impact on the towns and villages to which I refer and the enrolment capacity that is available in there.
The Minister mentioned duplicate enrolments. There is a CAO-style application system in Limerick. Instead of just highlighting the problem of duplicate enrolments, what does the Minister intend to do to reduce the impact of them?
As previously outlined, there are 314 school planning areas, or just school areas, if you like. The planning and building unit would say that in less than ten of those school areas are there challenges and difficulties for people. I want to say clearly that I do not for one minute underestimate the stress and challenge that presents for parents who are intent on and need to get their children into school and have to go through the process.
On duplication, I fully understand why a parent would apply to a number of different schools if they feel there is pressure in an area. There is an opportunity, and the Deputy is quite correct. We have seen it work in other areas where there is a sharing of information or a central application system. We have piloted this in various areas around the country. It works quite well, and there is an opportunity. Basically, what we are asking schools to do is share their information with the Department. That is what schools are doing. Each school has autonomy over its own admissions, but it is very helpful when schools provide information directly to the Department.