Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2024
234. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education to outline the process for identifying and selecting facilities for national schools, the basic requirements and additional criteria which are desired and what consideration is made for future growth and development of these facilities to meet demand and ensure the best educational and work environments for students and teachers. [23932/24]
View answerMy department has published guidelines to assist in the identification and the assessment for suitability of new sites for schools where the procurement of a new site is required. The relevant guidelines are TGD-025 for Primary School site identification and TGD-027 for post-primary site identification. All technical guidelines are available on the gov.ie website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/7e515-technical-guidance-documents/.
The suitability of potential school sites is ranked based on a number of criteria including:
• Zoning and Development Plan Provisions,
• Accessibility and Sustainable Transport Modes,
• Proximity to the population to be served, and
• Proximity to services.
My department also engages with Local Authorities to seek their views when evaluating identified shortlisted sites, to select the optimum location for schools to serve the educational requirements of an area, while also ensuring value for money for the exchequer is achieved.
The provision for future education needs are assessed as part of my departments analysis of demographic trends and enrolment projections. This analysis is informed by datasets such as existing enrolment data, child benefit data, census data, residential planning & construction activity, land use zonings, population projections, etc. This informs my department's submissions to statutory development plans, to assist Local Authorities in making provision for educational facilities when forming these plans.
Where new schools are established in advance of purpose-built school buildings being provided, these schools maybe established in interim accommodation.
