Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2024
250. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied that all primary and second level school places required for September 2024 are available throughout County Kildare, including but not limited to, Prosperous, Clane, Naas, Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge, Kilcock and Straffan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24114/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 my Department.
My Department is aware of pressures for primary and post primary school places for the 2024/25 school year in North Kildare. As part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for admission has been received by the department from post-primary schools across areas of known enrolment pressure including the School Planning Areas of Maynooth, Naas, Celbridge, and Prosperous-Clane. Leixlip School Planning Area was not included in this new process for 2024.
The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements across the areas. In the majority of areas across Kildare, through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the Department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. The Department has continued to work with schools and patrons to make additional places available in a small number of areas where a need has been identified. To date additional Post-Primary places have been made available in Maynooth, Prosperous-Clane and Celbridge. Additional primary places have also been made available in Kilcock following consultation last year.
This close engagement with schools and patrons will also allow my Department to identify particular further capacity requirements for the forthcoming years and put any required solutions in place - beyond those that are already in train - to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.
The Deputy will appreciate that there can often be significant overlap across areas and schools and the nature of the admissions processes is quite complex. As a result there can be multiple iterations, where applicants may accept a place but subsequently be offered and accept a place at a second school, freeing up capacity at the first school accepted. In that context, while some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2024/25, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one. My Department is continuing to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there are sufficient school places available, and to put any required solutions in place. This includes engagement in areas which were not included in the more detailed data sharing arrangements for 2024/25. As part of this engagement with patrons, my Department is also collaboratively planning towards 2025/26 and future years, as part of forward planning generally.
The picture in relation to school place requirements is very dynamic, noting that children may also move into an area during the course of the school year (including from overseas). This is a particular issue in parts of the country where expansion of residential development has been contributing to mid-year demand for places. Nevertheless, My Department will continue to engage with Patrons and school authorities to ensure that every child in the Kildare area will receive a school place.
