Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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946. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a recent report (details supplied) and its contents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18542/21]

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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947. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the findings of a report and its findings (details supplied); her plans to address the school place shortages in east County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18543/21]

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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948. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an impact assessment of demand for additional school places across the east Cork local electoral area catchment area has been carried out (details supplied). [18544/21]

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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952. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to capacity issues in east County Cork in primary and secondary level school places; if an assessment of the situation will be carried out with a view to increasing capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18548/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 946 to 948, inclusive, and 952 together.

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 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.

The most recent analysis undertaken by my Department projects that over 60% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level have stable or decreasing projected enrolments for the period to 2024, whereas some 90% of the school planning areas at post-primary level are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2027.

The level of demand volume across school planning areas with an increasing net requirement ranges from small to medium increases that are likely to be accommodated by existing schools through to significant projected growth that may require additional provision. This Department’s most recent projections indicate continued increasing demand for post primary school places in East County Cork, particularly in the Midleton_Carrigtwohill school planning area. There is an anticipated reduction in overall demand at primary level, in line with national trends.

My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including East Cork.

Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area

- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area

- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school there are not available to all pupils

- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area.

My Department is engaging with all school authorities in East Cork in relation to post-primary school places for September 2021 and all available options are being considered.

To assist in the process of providing additional second level places in East Cork for 2021 the following measures have been taken to date:

- The Department has recently agreed to a change in status from single sex to co-educational at Colaiste na Toirbhirte Bandon to cater for increased demographics for 2021 onwards.

- Additional temporary accommodation has been approved for Carrigtwohill Community College for 2021/22 pending provision of their new permanent school.

- Approved an extension to St. Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill to expand the school to cater for 1,000 pupils.

In addition, my Department has recently approved an application for additional interim accommodation for Pobailscoil na Trionoide Youghal for 2021/22 pending completion of the approved additional accommodation project for this school which is to expand the school to cater for 1,200 pupils.