Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
281. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if the accommodation needs of the pupils and staff at a school (details supplied) will be reviewed; if she will meet with the school officials to discuss their concerns in relation to overcrowding; and to detail what steps her Department will take to ensure pupils and staff have adequate space. [22415/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that Fermoy was one of the areas surveyed in 2012/13 under the patronage divesting process where there was sufficient parental demand supporting changes in school patronage (the areas surveyed were areas where demographics were not growing and therefore it was unlikely that a new multi-denominational school would be established for demographic reasons).
The policy on patronage divesting is to use existing educational infrastructure to facilitate provision of diversity in areas where there is no demographic imperative to establish new schools. The reason for this is that, of necessity, the focus of the schools capital programme is on the provision of additional school places at both primary and post-primary levels to ensure that every pupil can access a school place.
As part of the process of identifying a suitable accommodation solution which would facilitate the establishment of the school, the Department liaised with Cork Education and Training Board. In order to facilitate the establishment of the new school, the ETB agreed to the co-location of the Educate Together school at the former Technical School in Fermoy, together with some of the ETB’s Further Education and Training services.
Prior to the establishment of the new school in 2018 under the patronage divesting process, the Department and Educate Together as school patron agreed that given the accommodation available at the property and the need for the ETB to accommodate some Further Education and Training services from the property, the school would be established as a four-classroom school and that the school will maintain this configuration in the accommodation in the former Technical School unless an existing school building is freed up for use in the area. As part of this engagement, the Department outlined to the school patron the importance of enrolments being managed within the available accommodation in a sustainable way and that this would be communicated to the school Board of Management so that parents could be fully informed and in order to manage expectations.
Since 2020, my Department has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, including the completion of over 800 school building projects with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 31 new school buildings.
School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. We also have a large modular accommodation programme delivering urgently needed school places.
This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities.
In general, demographics have been falling at primary level and are due to continue to decrease.
Therefore the Department considers it prudent to maximise the use of existing spare accommodation capacity at primary level in the first instance, before considering any applications for further accommodation needs. This is in line with public spending requirements.
The Department continues to engage with the school’s patron in respect of queries raised regarding the school’s accommodation.
