Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
393. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the work of her Department to ensure the provision of adequate school places for the Kilternan school planning area. [70631/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of school places is a priority for the Department of Education and Youth and there has been significant capital investment in schools in South County Dublin and North Wicklow to meet the needs of the local population. This includes new schools established in recent years in Stepaside, Cherrywood, Bray and Goatstown. This good forward planning is informed by demographic analysis, including information on planned residential development.
At primary level, enrolments at schools in the area have been declining since 2016. Nevertheless, there has been capital investment at schools in the area to support the establishment of special classes.
The Department’s databases show that there are fewer than 600 post primary school-going young people living in the Kilternan School Planning Area. These students are catered for at schools in neighbouring areas primarily in the Ballinteer-Stepaside and Goatstown-Stillorgan school planning areas. Some €134 million has been invested by my Department since 2020 in these three school planning areas alone. There is capacity in these and other adjacent areas at post-primary level and further post-primary school building projects are planned. This includes large scale capital projects to substantially increase capacity at Stepaside Educate Together Secondary to over 1000 pupils, the first phase of which has already been delivered. Additionally, projects are planned that will provide capacity for over 1,000 students at Goatstown Educate Together Secondary and for over 500 students at Gaelcholáiste Phiarsaigh.
It is acknowledged that even where there is capacity available, there can be enrolment pressures in an area due to duplicate applications, school of choice and other factors. The Department works closely with schools in areas of enrolment pressure to identify any requirement for additional provision and to put any required solutions in place.
The Department will continue to work to ensure that there is good school place provision for children and young people living in Kilternan.
