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Education Minister Norma Foley announced the sponsorship of the four new post-primary schools to be established in 2021.
In all cases, the minister accepted the recommendations of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG).
Le Chéile Schools Trust will operate the new secondary school in Ballincollig, Cork, while Education Together will be the sponsoring body for the new planned school in the Booterstown-Blackrock-Dún Laoghaire area of South Dublin.
Educate Together will also run the new high school in Gorey, Co Wexford, while the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) is taking over the school in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
The sites for the Gorey and Ballincollig schools have been secured.
In relation to the Dunshaughlin school, the possibility of locating the new school on land that the minister is currently acquiring is being explored.
In Booterstown-Blackrock-Dún Laoghaire, the Department has acquired a site for this school at Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
The four new post-primary schools to be established in 2021 will provide significant additional places to local communities and between them will have the capacity to serve more than 2,700 students when fully developed.
Minister Foley said: “Parental preference is a key factor in deciding the sponsorship of new schools and I am delighted that despite the current Covid-19 situation, the levels of parental involvement in this process of sponsorship are generally in line with levels of participation in previous sponsorship processes.
“The views of parents expressed throughout the process are reflected in the decisions I made about sponsoring these four new schools.”
Today’s announcement forms an essential part of plans to ensure that enough new school places are available to serve the growing number of students at the post-primary level in the coming years.
This NSEG was created in 2011 to advise the Minister on the sponsorship of new schools following his consideration of a report prepared by the Department on the applications received.
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