I 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 for the Department.
As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department’s projections of school place requirements. Additional accommodation provision is made as necessary, where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs.
The Department is aware of pressures at post primary level in the Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area. Schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Newcastle_Rathcoole, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. The Department is liaising closely with schools to ensure that this data is provided as soon as possible and to ensure that every pupil receives an offer of a school place for next September.
In response to the known longer term projections of school place needs in Newcastle_Rathcoole, the Department is providing significant additional post primary capacity, including new school buildings for both Holy Family Community School and Coláiste Pobail Fóla. These projects are already at construction and will each provide for in excess of 1,000 mainstream and special educational needs places. Recent reconfiguration works at Coláiste Pobail Fóla facilitated an increased enrolment intake of first years in 2025.
While the admissions policies for schools are the responsibility of school authorities, I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to proactively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Newcastle_Rathcoole for the 2026/2027 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children in the Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area will receive a first year place.
