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For Oral Answer on : 16/04/2024
Question Number(s): 64 Question Reference(s): 16461/24
Department: Education
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Education her plans to establish a new second level school in the east Cork area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
Requirements for school places are kept under ongoing review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. A Geographical Information System is used to analyse data drawn from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data. This analysis enables the Department to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
The school planning areas in East Cork include Midleton_Carrigtwohill, Fermoy, Cobh, Youghal and Mitchelstown.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department also monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested over €544 million across 104 projects of various scale in County Cork. This includes a number of significant projects in East Cork, such as the recently completed project at Carrigtwohill Post Primary School which delivered a new, modern 1,000 pupil permanent school building.
An extension at St. Colman’s Community College, Midleton has also been recently completed to cater for up to 1,000 pupils.
Other projects being advanced in East Cork include expanded capacity at Christian Brothers Secondary School and St. Mary’s High School in Midleton. In addition, St. Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill will expand to cater for 1,000 pupils, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide in Youghal for 1,200 pupils, and Coláiste Mhuire and Carrignafoy Community College, both in Cobh, for 600 and over 700 pupils respectively.
Where demographic data indicates that additional school places are required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools
- Provision of a new school or schools
If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools.
The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to Gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (Aonad) in an English-medium school.
Given the level of existing and planned provision, my Department is satisfied that the provision of a new school entity at post primary level in the East Cork area is not required at this time.
My Department has also been working closely with patrons in the School Planning Areas of Midleton_Carrigtwohill and Fermoy to ensure that there will be a school place for every student who requires one in the coming school year.
