ALEX WHITE WELCOMES NEW SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT FOR GOATSTOWN/STILLORGAN

The Minister for Education and Skills, today announced that a new primary school for the Goatstown/Stillorgan area is to be established by September 2016.

Commenting on the announcement, Minister Alex White, Labour TD for Dublin South, said: “This development recognises the increasing demographic pressure on the existing infrastructure in Goatstown/Stillorgan and demonstrates this Government’s delivery on its commitment to prioritise new schools and to invest in our children’s education”.

 

“This is the sixth major educational investment in Dublin South since our Government took office in 2011.”

 

Patrons can apply to run the new school.  The criteria to be used in deciding on patronage of the new school will place an emphasis on parental demand for plurality and diversity.  The process will be carried out later this year.

 

Minister White continued: “This approach emphasises this Government’s commitment to moving towards a more pluralist system of patronage at primary level.

Notes for Editors

 

The Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, today announced that seven new primary schools are to be established in the next two years.

 

Of the seven new schools, four will open in 2015 with the other three opening in 2016.

 

Cork, Dublin, Galway and Wicklow remain areas of a high rate of primary school going children and this is where the new schools will be located.

 

There will be one school in Cork, four in Dublin, one in Galway and one in Wicklow.

 

The basic construction costs for the seven new schools will broadly be in the region of €24m.  This level of investment by the State will support some 240 direct jobs and 48 indirect jobs.

 

Details of new schools to be opened in September 2016 include:

 

Ø  Goatstown/Stillorgan, Dublin

Ø  Cabra/Phibsborough/Dublin 7

Ø  Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1

 

A patronage determination process for these schools will be run later this year.

 

Details on the arrangements and criteria for establishing new schools are available on the Department’s website: - Click Herehttp://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2011-Press-Releases/pr_new_school_criteria_2011.pdf

 

New Schools Establishment Group

 

The patronage determination process for new schools is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group.

 

The Group is chaired by Dr. Seamus McGuinness (retired senior lecturer in the Education Department at Trinity College Dublin) and also includes Ms. Sylda Langford (retired Director of the Office of the Minister for Children) and Prof. Seán Ó Riain (Sociology Department, NUI Maynooth).

 

Next steps 

The Department will shortly inform patron bodies of the details of the 2015 schools requiring a patronage determination process.  The patron bodies can then make applications for consideration.  Department officials will draft a report based on the applications received for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group and it will submit a report with recommendations for consideration by the Minister.