Primary and secondary school places in Balbriggan

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is taking to resolve the shortage of primary school places in Balbriggan; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is taking to resolve the shortage of secondary school places in Balbriggan; and if he will make a statement on the matter.


REPLY

In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. For school planning purposes Balbriggan is located in the Balbriggan school planning area.
As the Deputy will be aware, I announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
In addition to the new schools announced, there will be a need for further school accommodation in other areas in the future.  Based on the current analysis, this need can be addressed through either planned capacity increases in existing schools or additional accommodation or extensions to existing schools. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department’s website, www.education.gov.ie and this is updated monthly. A list of large scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
I have highlighted that the requirement for new schools will be kept under on-going review and in particular would have regard for the increased rollout of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040.
In September 2014, Coláiste Ghlór na Mara, a new 700 pupil multi-denominational post-primary school under the patronage An Foras Pátrúnachta, was established to serve the Balbriggan school planning area. In addition, in September 2016, Bremore Educate Together Secondary School, a new 700 pupil multi-denominational post-primary school, was also established to serve this school planning area.