MINISTER FOR EDUCATION Norma Foley has announced that applications are being accepted for patrons of three new Dublin primary schools that will be set up in September next year.
The information will be used to provide information to parents and guardians in expressing a preference, which is one of the key determinants in deciding a patron.
These three schools are among 47 new schools being established to cater for demographic growth over the four-year period from 2019 to 2022.
Each of the three Dublin schools will have eight classrooms, and will be in the Donaghmede-Howth area; Dublin 2-Dublin 4; and Sallynoggin-Killiney-DLR north.
As a result of a 2019 patronage process to increase access to Irish-language education, the new schools in Donaghmede-Howth and Dublin2-Dublin4 have been designated as Gaelscoileanna.
Language preferences will not be sought from parents in these areas as part of the patronage process; for the Sallynoggin-Killiney school, parents will be asked to state a preference for either Irish or English.
The Department of Education also said that the establishment of the following schools has been deferred from 2021:
Minister Foley said: “It is important that the patronage process for the primary schools which are to open in 2021 is also conducted in as normal a fashion as possible, with patrons being given the opportunity to apply to run the new schools, and parents given the opportunity to express their preference on the choice of patron.
Parental preferences for each patron, from parents/ guardians of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity of provision currently available in these areas, will be key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.
“I am particularly pleased that two of these three new primary schools are designated as Irish-medium primary schools in advance of the [Online Patronage Process System] being run, providing an Irish-medium option for parents in these school planning areas which has not been available to date.”
The Department has recently completed the first step of an updated review of demographics at primary level, having regard to updated information on demographics and additional residential development.
Prospective patrons can complete an application form on the Department of Education’s website and submit it by email by 5pm on 19 November 2020.
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