Kildare County Council Meeting, Monday, 26 February 2024
Councillors Michael Coleman, Paddy Curran, Íde Cussen, Aidan Farrelly, Angela
Feeney, Carmel Kelly, Vanessa Liston, Rob Power, Pádraig McEvoy, Bob
Quinn, Paul Ward and Peter Hamilton
Motion
That the council assist with analysis and reports from Census 2022 data and any
efforts to coordinate school population data and applications between the Department of Education, the KWETB, and other school patrons to simplify the process of securing school places across the county, particularly in areas where investment in education capacities has yet to align with population expansion.
Agenda Report
The Planning and Building Unit of the Department of Education are
responsible for, inter alia, identifying the need for school accommodation, prioritising the allocation of resources, and overseeing the delivery of the capital programme. The primary function of the Department of Education’s Forward Planning Section is to analyse demographic and enrolment trends and anticipate future demand for primary and post-primary school places to ensure that sufficient school accommodation will be provided. This research informs [the] identification of projects to meet future demands across the Planning and Building Unit of the Department.
Kildare County Council Planning Team engage on a continuous and regular basis with the Department of Education under the MOU between the Department of Education and the City and County Management Association (attached) and The Provision of Schools and the Planning System - a Code of Practice for Planning Authorities, the Department of Education and Science, and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Furthermore, Kildare County Council Forward Planning Team engage with the
Department of Education’s Statutory Plans, Forward Planning and Site Acquisition
Teams throughout County Development and Local Area Plan preparation, with
specific reference to the Social Infrastructure Audit, which informs the plan-making processes in terms of educational requirements.
More broadly, the Planning Team in Kildare County Council liaise directly with the
Department of Education on school requirements, site identification, site-specific
projects and share all information regarding population analysis and data with the Department where the same is available and verified and will continue to provide appropriate assistance where feasible.
It is expected that Census 2022 data will be available towards the end of March which will provide information on the numbers and profile of children and young people across all settlements in addition to the numbers of all current education providers in Kildare. This will provide a very useful tool for future planning of education needs in the county and can be shared with relevant departments and agencies.
Issued by: Mr A Dunney, Director of Services, Planning, Enterprise, Economic
Development and Emergency Services
Meeting Minutes
08/0224 [link]
"Councillor McEvoy advised the members of the following:
Kildare County Council did not undertake the construction or extension of new schools.
Since 2014, Local Government has prioritised data-driven coordination, predictive modelling, and confidence building in policy decisions and resource allocation.
Reviewing census and other data sources was essential to ensure that the available information was effectively aligned with the evolving needs of the communities.
The motion presented a chance for a public discussion on the advantages of local authorities collaborating with the Department of Education. Existing work must continue, and other state bodies were deepening collaborative data sharing at regional levels, for example, through the Regional Development Monitor.
The Department of Education could share more data with local authorities to help enhance the planning of community-level services beyond education, including travel patterns, community resources, etc. Maynooth University's AIRO had been mentioned for its significant contributions to the Local Economic and Community Plan.
The members raised the following points:
The population has increased from 3 to 5 million over the last number of years.
In recent times, the issue of school places has created a high level of stress for students and parents.
Social infrastructure was not keeping up with the level of growth, and Kildare County Council should take a leadership role.
The Department needed to move away from the idea that schools were needed five years after housing developments as it was families who were moving into these areas.
The system was not working as many schools around the county were in prefabs or buildings that were not fit for purpose.
Local authorities had limited influence regarding schools.
Mr A Dunney informed the members that they needed to be mindful of the role of the council where there was no remit regarding delivery of schools. He advised that the council meet with the Department of Education on a quarterly basis and he would bring the above issues raised back to the Department."
Information
Emer Currie Opinion in the Irish Times, Tue Apr 16 2024 [link]
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