Letter from the Department of Education about a site for a Secondary School in the Pelletstown/Royal Canal Park development in Dublin 15/7.
After engaging with the Department of Education I received the response below surrounding a site for a Secondary School.
In relation to a site for a Secondary School in the Pelletstown/Royal Canal Park development in Dublin 15/7.
Requirements for school places is kept under on-going 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, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, 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 total for the population enumerated in Census 2022 was 5,149,139 persons which is an increase of 8% since April 2016. Any change arising from an increase in the number of pupils directly linked to the Census is likely to be marginal in the short term relative to the overall challenge of meeting our targets. This is because we already have the precise enrolment numbers for all of the children covered by the census. The only immediate change is likely to be to the projected intake to infant classes next September but this would already have been tracked through monitoring of child benefit data.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, the Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes as there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The 2023 demographic exercise indicate increasing enrolments in the Cabra_Phibsboro_D7 school planning area to 2033. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is 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. There are 2 post-primary projects planned in the school planning area and when completed, will cater for the demand for school places in the area:
St Pauls CBS (Roll No: 60430O) – Brief: 1 Classroom SEN base: Stage 2B: Stage 2B is the developed design & lodgement of planning permission.
Cabra Community College (Roll No: 70150O) – Brief: Reconfiguration works to existing space to create 1 x SEN Class base. Stage 5: Stage 5 is final handover of the school building to the Patron/Board of Management.
Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.