Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
310. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 57 of 23 April 2026, if the numbers for primary and secondary level will be provided (details supplied) and the projected shortfall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31858/26]
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.
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.
As previously referred, my Department has a robust, evidence based, forward planning process for monitoring the current and projected future demographic demand for school places. This forward planning process analyses the demand for school places at School Planning Area level and also at a more granular settlement level to allow the department to respond to local demands.
The data used to inform the demographic demand analysis includes enrolment data, child benefit data, census & CSO data and information of planned new residential developments. Enrolment and child benefit data is updated annually and geocoded to the 19 thousand small areas across the Country. This allows the department to analyse the population of school going children and the schools they attend at a granular level.
My Department liaised with stakeholders in the area and increased provision in Portlaoise Educate Together National School to facilitate this demand. The demand for primary school places in Portlaoise reduced in recent years, however it is increasing again due to the very significant level of residential development in the town. My Department will keep this under review and ensure that every child requiring a school place in the Portlaoise SPA will be provided with one.
I wish to advise the Deputy, the provision of primary and post-primary school places and the operation of admissions processes are matters for individual school authorities, in line with their published admissions policies and relevant legislation. Schools determine their own intake numbers and maintain their own enrolment and waiting list information.
Information on Junior Infant and First-Year intake numbers for individual schools is published in each school’s Admissions Notice on their respective websites. National enrolment data is available on gov.ie.
