Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
527. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s plans to address the shortage of post-primary school places in the Knocklyon/Rathfarnham area; if capacity will be expanded in existing schools or if a new school is planned; and to provide the expected timeline for these measures. [72563/25]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €1.6 billion in school infrastructure across Co. Dublin and the Department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place.
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 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.
The annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary and new First Years at post-primary is a very large-scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. While my department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.
Data available to my department highlights there are more first year places available than 6th class children in the Rathfarnham school planning area. In 2024/25 academic year, 4.39% of first year places were unfilled. In addition, previous capacity data submitted by schools to the department identified that 4 out of 5 post-primary schools had capacity for places across various year groups.
With regards to projects in train that will increase post-primary capacity in Rathfarnham school planning area, there is a capital project currently at Stage 2b for Sancta Maria College which when complete will increase capacity to 750 pupils.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
I can assure the Deputy that my department will continue to keep the school place requirements in the Rathfarnham school planning area as with other areas across the country, under review.
