John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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368. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what analysis has been undertaken by her Department in relation to progressing plans for a secondary school in an area (details supplied) considering the growth in population and increasing demands for secondary school places in the local area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43019/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas (SPA) 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.

The department also conducts granular analysis below the level of a school planning area, particularly where a school planning area encompasses both high growth urban settlement areas and a more rural hinterland. 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.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,

• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,

• Provision of a new school or schools.

If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to Gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (Aonad) in an English-medium school.

New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.

For school planning purposes Newtownmountkennedy is located in the Kilcoole SPA. In 2020 a new post-primary school (Greystones Community College) was established to serve the Kilcoole & Greystones SPAs as a regional solution. There is also one post-primary school in the school planning area, Coláiste Chraobh Abhainn. There is currently a large-scale major project ongoing at Stage 3 to provide additional accommodation to increase capacity to 1,000 pupils plus 3 class SEN base. Stage 3 is the instruction for the project to proceed to tender.

As part of planning for September 2025, the department will be engaging with an increased number of post-primary schools across areas of potential enrolment pressure, including areas in counties Kildare, Wicklow, Dublin, Galway, and Cork. This engagement will include the request for admissions data to help identify duplicate applications and determine the need for additional places, if any, in the area. It is expected that, as in previous years, the data sharing will provide confidence that there is sufficient school place availability in the majority of areas. However, if a shortfall of places is identified in an area, the department will work with schools to put the necessary solutions in place.

The department has improved the central Post-Primary On-line Database IT system that schools use to register student enrolments. This is an important improvement and is available to assist schools to manage the enrolment process and provide real-time notification to schools where a new student has accepted a school place in more than one school. This will help identify duplicate enrolments at a very early stage.

The department has also written to all parents and guardians of children in sixth class with advice and guidance regarding the admissions process for post-primary for the 2025/26 school year. This letter advised parents to apply to multiple schools in areas where there is high demand and requested parents to take steps to avoid holding multiple places.

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.