O’Keeffe hails 7,000 extra school places

AN EXTRA 7,000 school places will be available this term to keep pace with what Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe described as “enormous demographic changes” in recent years.

The Government has admitted that a further 100,000 primary and secondary places will be needed over the next seven years to meet demand.

“This fast-track approach to the provision of school buildings will deliver 26 major building projects this year providing accommodation for about 7,000 students,” said Mr O’Keeffe in a statement yesterday.