Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 7 September 2026
1471. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has undertaken an analysis of requests for additional mainstream postprimary capacity to establish whether such requests are distributed equitably between co-educational, girls' and boys' schools; if so, the findings of that analysis; if not, if she will undertake such an analysis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63294/26]
View answer1472. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria and methodology her Department applies when determining which post-primary school or schools should be requested to provide additional mainstream capacity where demand exceeds available places in a school-planning area; whether the existing and projected capacity of all schools serving the area is considered; the details of the methodology; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63293/26]
View answer1474. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the recognised enrolment capacity of each postprimary school in each school planning area; the number of pupils enrolled in each school; the number of available places; and, where a school-planning area contains both single-sex and co-educational schools, if her Department treats the capacity of each school equally when assessing the need for additional places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63291/26]
View answer1475. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of occasions in each of the past five years and to date in 2026 on which her Department has sought additional mainstream post-primary capacity from one school where two or more other post-primary schools also serve the same school planning area, the number of such cases involving co-educational schools, girls' schools and boys' schools; the criteria applied by her Department in determining which school or schools should provide the additional capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63290/26]
View answer1476. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth in respect of requests made by her Department for additional mainstream post-primary capacity, the number of requests made to co-educational schools, girls' schools and boys' schools; the number of additional classes and places sought from each category, by school-planning area, in each of the past five years and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63289/26]
View answer1477. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools which her Department has requested to provide additional mainstream post-primary places; the number of additional classes and places requested from each school, by school, school type and school-planning area, in each of the past five years and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63288/26]
View answer1478. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional mainstream post-primary school places her Department has determined were required in each of the past five years and to date in 2026, broken down by school-planning area; the number of additional classes required to meet that demand, by year and school planning area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63287/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1471, 1472, 1474, 1475, 1476, 1477 and 1478 together.
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 of mine.
My Department utilises a Geographic Information System (GIS) and analyses data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit data, school enrolment figures, residential development activity, and existing school capacity. This enables us to identify where pressure for school places is likely to arise, at a local level, and where additional accommodation is required.
Major new residential developments can significantly influence local demand for school places. In this context, our demographic demand analysis includes ongoing monitoring of enrolment trends, population data, and projected intakes at a local level, alongside direct engagement with schools, patrons and management bodies. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas.
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.
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. 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.
In addition, an annual school capacity management process is undertaken by my Department, to ensure that sufficient school places are available to meet demand each year at both primary and post-primary level, including for children and young people with special educational needs.
This process involves ongoing analysis of enrolment trends, demographic data and projected intake at school planning area level, as well as direct engagement with schools, patrons and management bodies. Each school planning area is kept under review on an ongoing basis, with particular regard to projected pupil intake, existing school capacity and emerging enrolment pressures.
Where potential capacity pressures are identified, my Department engages directly with the relevant schools and patrons, including through data-sharing arrangements where appropriate, to better understand application patterns and overlapping demand. This supports timely interventions to ensure sufficient school places are available for the forthcoming school year.
I wish to advise the Deputy, the provision of 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. My Department does not centrally collate or hold a definitive dataset of available places or waiting lists by school planning area. The information requested by the Deputy is not available at this time.
Information on 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.
