Hopes Raised For New Educate Together Primary Schools in Cork and Dublin

Parents must register their preference for Educate Together online! Deadline Wednesday 4 January!

Educate Together is delighted to announce that it intends to apply for patronage of four new national schools that are due to open in 2017 and 2018, as a result of the increasing demand for school places in the following areas: 

  • Ballincollig, Co Cork (opening September 2017)
  • Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin (opening September 2017)
  • Scribblestown / Finglas West, Dublin (opening September 2017)
  • Dublin South City Centre – Dublin 2, 4 and 6 (opening September 2018)

Local families in each of these areas have been campaigning for the establishment of an Educate Together national school for some time. All of these new schools, should they be designated by the Department of Education and Skills as Educate Together schools, will optimise parental choice and strengthen diversity of provision. Educate Together has been calling on the Government to increase the supply of Educate Together schools in Dublin and Cork for many years now. 

Commenting on the announcement, Adelaide Nic Chárthaigh, New Schools Programme Manager for Educate Together: 

“This is great news for parents in these areas of Cork and Dublin who have been seeking equality-based Educate Together schools for their children. Simply put, both Cork and Dublin need more Educate Together national schools. The existing schools in both cities are reporting that hundreds of children’s names are being signed up to already over-subscribed waiting lists. The Department’s announcement that new primary schools are to be established in both cities is most welcome.” 

School patrons such as Educate Together are being asked to provide evidence of parental demand when making an application for each new school. The closing date for submitting applications, including evidence of parental preference, is Wednesday January 4th 2017. Parents are being invited to register their preference for a new Educate Together national school online: 

  • Ballincollig, Co Cork
  • Scribblestown / Finglas West
  • Dun Laoghaire
  • Dublin South City Centre