Developers could be forced to provide school sites

DEVELOPERS could be forced to provide new schools or suitable sites under Government plans for closer co-operation between local councils and the Department of Education.

The measures are aimed at preventing a repeat of the situation in parts of Dublin where growth in local population left many children without a school place.

Although more than 30 new schools have been fast-tracked to open next month in rapidly developing areas, huge pressure is likely to arise in other communities over the next decade as the Department of Education tries to deal with an estimated 100,000 extra primary school pupils.

The code of practice for local authorities, unveiled by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe and Environment Minister John Gormley, will mean that suitable sites for future schools must be identified when land-zoning is being decided for city and county development plans. Councils will engage with landowners and developers to identify suitable sites for new schools or other facilities to be made available for the community.

All large housing scheme applications will have to include an assessment of capacity of existing local schools and the Department of Education will consider situating schools side-by-side where appropriate.

Labour Party education spokesman Ruairi Quinn described the initiative as “too little, too late”, saying it will do nothing for the 40,000-plus children being taught in prefab classrooms. He said that unless the cost of building-land is dealt with, the proposals will lead to taxpayers being ripped off by developers.

Mr Quinn said the primary school building crisis could be addressed by a three-year emergency upgrade programme using surplus capacity in the construction sector.

Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes said the Government plans lacked concrete proposals that will make a real difference and will not address the crisis in areas of rapid growth.

His party has proposed the use of compulsory purchase orders to acquire school sites and setting up a joint unit between the education and social welfare departments to track all new claims for child benefit as a way of forecasting where and when pressure for schools will emerge.

“For over a decade, successive Fianna Fáil governments have completely neglected the provision of school places despite it being obvious that there was a burgeoning population and huge increase in numbers of children,” Mr Hayes said.

Irish Examiner

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