Developers may in future be required to make provision for land for schools and colleges before receiving planning approval.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said both she and the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, were willing to consider any changes in legislation to ensure that suitable land is made available for the development of schools. In a weekend address to a meeting of councillors from all over Ireland in Carrick-on-Suir, Ms Hanafin acknowledged that "huge housing developments" had been given the go-ahead "without any responsibility on developers to provide school sites or other educational infrastructure which is part and parcel of the needs of any community.
"This has led to inevitable delays in providing adequate school accommodation to meet demand in those areas. We have also seen difficult, protracted negotiations and high costs of procurement of sites for schools."
She and Mr Roche were anxious to ensure suitable land was made available for schools development, and would consider changes to legislation that might be appropriate. Councillors should also focus on setting sensible speed limits outside schools, and the payment of third-level grants on time, she added.