Question to Minsister : Provision of new Secondary School for Malahide/Portmarnock and Swords

​Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a 
new secondary school for the Malahide and Portmarnock areas of County Dublin, 
as announced in November, 2015; if he has identified locations for these 
proposed schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a 
new secondary school for the Swords area of County Dublin, as announced in 
November 2015; if he has identified locations for these proposed schools; and 
if he will make a statement on the matter.
-Darragh O'Brien.

​ For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 30th June, 2016.
Reference Number: 18911/16, 18957/16

Freagra


Minister Richard Bruton

I propose to take questions 18911/16, 18957/16 together.

My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where 
the pressure for school places will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central 
Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection 
and information from my Department's own databases.

The outcome of the latest demographic exercises, based on the GIS, was the 
announcement in November 2015 of the establishment of 13 new schools to open 
nationwide in 2017 and 2018 to cater for increased demographic needs. One of 
the new post-primary schools will serve the Swords school planning area and one 
will serve the Malahide and Portmarnock school planning areas.  Both new 
schools will open in 2017 and both are included in my Department's six year 
construction programme (2016-2021). Details on the progress of all projects on 
this programme will be published on my Department's website and this will be 
updated regularly.

In April this year, my Department issued an invitation to all school patron 
bodies and prospective patron bodies to apply for the patronage of the nine new 
post-primary schools, including the schools to serve the areas referred to by 
the Deputy. As part of the application process, prospective patrons must submit 
completed parental preferences, including whether parents wish their children 
to be educated through the medium of Irish or of English. The closing date for 
receipt of applications to my Department was Wednesday 8th June. 

My Department is currently assessing the applications received from the 
prospective patrons and an assessment report will be prepared for the 
consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). The Group will 
then submit a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final 
decision. I will announce the patronage of the schools following completion of 
the process and the patronage assessment report will be published on my 
Department's website. 

My Department are liaising with Fingal County Council in accordance with the 
Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition 
of suitable locations for these schools. 

Agreement in principle has been reached in respect of a site for the new 
post-primary school in Swords and my Department is currently progressing with 
its acquisition.

In relation to the new post-primary school to serve the Malahide and 
Portmarnock areas, the technical feasibility of an identified site option is 
currently being comprehensively assessed by officials from my Department in 
liaison with officials from the Local Authority.

Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally, I am, 
unfortunately, not in a position to provide further details at this time. I 
can, however, assure you that the site acquisitions for both of these schools 
are being advanced by my Department and that pending the delivery of the 
permanent school buildings, temporary accommodation will be provided.