Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has unveiled a list of schools planned for north Dublin including Portmarnock, Malahide, Rush, Lusk, Swords, Skerries, Donabate/Portrane and Balbriggan. Seán Flynn, Education Editor, reports.
The new plan, the latest to be rolled out by the Department of Education, comes amid criticism about the lack of planning for new communities, especially in north and west Dublin.
Ms Hanafin has blamed the local authorities for the failure but the Opposition claims poor planning by successive education ministers is responsible.
Last night the general secretary of INTO, the teachers' union, John Carr said the new initiative, while welcome, "did not tell parents and teachers what they really want to know - when will these new facilities be delivered?"
The new plan prepared by the department's Commission on School Accommodation "will be the basis on which capital funding decisions will be made in the north Dublin area for the years between 2007 and 2012 and beyond", said Ms Hanafin.
The Minister yesterday stressed how the new proposals reflected "proactive planning in the area of school provision". It comes after a detailed public consultation process with "school trustees, boards of management, principals, teachers, staff and parent groups as well as others with an interest in educational provision in the north Dublin area".
In all, 54 submissions and 20 oral presentations were made, before the plan was finalised.
This is the fifth such area development plan to be published following the publication of plans for Mountmellick and Mountrath, the N4/M4 area, Westport/ Newport and north Kerry.
In addition to a new area development plan for south Louth and east Meath, the commission is conducting a survey of school accommodation in the south Galway area, based on increased population and the department's of Education acknowledgment that a new postprimary school will be required in the area.
The commission has also undertaken to publish an development plan for Limerick in 2008.
Details of the report and recommendations can be viewed on the Department of Education website: www.education.ie