School planning areas
The Department of Education and Youth groups schools into 314 planning areas to plan school places. Select an area for its trends, its schools and what its parents would prefer, across county lines.
Ireland: what parents told the Department of Education and Youth in its Primary School Survey, November–December 2025. These are preferences, not applications.
- Households that answered
- 200,365
- 133,968 with children at school
- 66,397 with children not yet at school
- Multi-denominational patron
- 47%
- of parents of children not yet at school would prefer one
- 44% of parents at school · 7.8% of pupils in multi-denominational schools now
- Teaching through Irish
- 26%
- of parents of children not yet at school would prefer it
- 20% of parents at school · 8.0% of pupils in all-Irish schools now
- Single-sex
- 6%
- of parents of children not yet at school would prefer one
- 5% of parents at school · 12.8% of pupils in single-sex schools now
- Pupils in such schools now
- Parents of children at school
- Parents of children not yet at school
Where preferences run ahead of places
Areas with no school of a kind that many parents of children not yet at school would prefer.
65 of 314 areas
These 65 areas outside the Gaeltacht have no school teaching all subjects through Irish, though a quarter or more of parents of children not yet at school there would prefer it. Show all 314 areas
Select a column heading to sort
| Chart, 0 to 100% | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darndale–D17Dublin · 5 schools | 540 36% | 0% | 14% | 14% | +14 | |
| FethardTipperary · 3 schools | 137 37% | 0% | 2% | 8% | +8 | |
| LaytownMeath · 4 schools | 690 44% | 0% | 4% | 7% | +7 | |
| CelbridgeKildare · 8 schools | 1,084 42% | 0% | 3% | 6% | +6 | |
| KilcooleWicklow · 3 schools | 510 45% | 0% | 2% | 6% | +6 | |
| BallyhaleKilkenny · 7 schools | 229 44% | 0% | 1% | 5% | +5 | |
| CastlepollardWestmeath · 7 schools | 180 39% | 0% | 0% | 5% | +5 | |
| CrossmolinaMayo · 6 schools | 195 43% | 0% | 1% | 5% | +5 | |
| TullaClare · 3 schools | 155 42% | 0% | 0% | 5% | +5 | |
| FoxfordMayo · 2 schools | 133 43% | 0% | 0% | 4% | +4 | |
| BallaghadereenMayo · Roscommon · Sligo · 12 schools | 342 37% | 0% | 2% | 3% | +3 | |
| BallybunionKerry · 4 schools | 141 41% | 0% | 1% | 3% | +3 | |
| CastlecomerKilkenny · 12 schools | 328 42% | 0% | 0% | 3% | +3 | |
| Kildysart–CaherconClare · 6 schools | 108 43% | 0% | 1% | 3% | +3 | |
| KilmuckridgeWexford · 7 schools | 336 47% | 0% | 1% | 3% | +3 | |
| PortumnaGalway · Tipperary · 10 schools | 250 40% | 0% | 1% | 3% | +3 | |
| CarrigallenCavan · Leitrim · 6 schools | 161 44% | 0% | 2% | 2% | +2 | |
| CoachfordCork · 12 schools | 623 50% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| CootehillCavan · Monaghan · 12 schools | 352 42% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| EnniscroneSligo · 4 schools | 213 61% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| KiltimaghMayo · 4 schools | 218 42% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| KinvaraClare · Galway · 6 schools | 368 57% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| New RossKilkenny · Wexford · 13 schools | 651 38% | 0% | 2% | 2% | +2 | |
| OldcastleCavan · Meath · 4 schools | 228 53% | 0% | 0% | 2% | +2 | |
| RaphoeDonegal · 12 schools | 397 35% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| RochfordbridgeWestmeath · 4 schools | 189 42% | 0% | 1% | 2% | +2 | |
| ScariffClare · 9 schools | 202 44% | 0% | 0% | 2% | +2 | |
| SkerriesDublin · 8 schools | 631 53% | 0% | 2% | 2% | +2 | |
| ThomastownKilkenny · 2 schools | 261 46% | 0% | 2% | 2% | +2 | |
| BallyhaunisMayo · Roscommon · 8 schools | 252 35% | 0% | 4% | 1% | +1 | |
| Bruff–HospitalLimerick · Tipperary · 12 schools | 502 49% | 0% | 1% | 1% | +1 | |
| ButtevantCork · 5 schools | 200 39% | 0% | 2% | 1% | +1 | |
| CastledermotKildare · 4 schools | 207 41% | 0% | 0% | 1% | +1 | |
| ClifdenGalway · 13 schools | 218 46% | 0% | 1% | 1% | +1 | |
| HeadfordGalway · Mayo · 12 schools | 435 55% | 0% | 2% | 1% | +1 | |
| OughterardGalway · 4 schools | 263 71% | 0% | 0% | 1% | +1 | |
| RoscarberyCork · 5 schools | 192 46% | 0% | 1% | 1% | +1 | |
| BushLouth · 8 schools | 288 44% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0 | |
| CarrignavarCork · 3 schools | 250 40% | 0% | 3% | 0% | 0 | |
| CharlestownMayo · Sligo · 6 schools | 164 43% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| DrumshanboLeitrim · Roscommon · 6 schools | 160 49% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| EaskeySligo · 7 schools | 148 57% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| FerbaneOffaly · Westmeath · 7 schools | 261 54% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0 | |
| KilkeeClare · 7 schools | 107 37% | 0% | 3% | 0% | 0 | |
| Lacken–BallycastleMayo · 5 schools | 103 43% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| LisdoonvarnaClare · 5 schools | 99 43% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| LouisburghMayo · 5 schools | 128 51% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0 | |
| SchullCork · 2 schools | 82 44% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| Spanish PointClare · 8 schools | 181 46% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0 | |
| SwinfordMayo · 8 schools | 194 48% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0 | |
| WoodfordGalway · 6 schools | 80 44% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 | |
| CahirTipperary · 11 schools | 501 37% | 3% | 1% | 0% | −3 | |
| Doon–CappamoreLimerick · Tipperary · 15 schools | 551 46% | 11% | 3% | 4% | −7 | |
| StrokestownRoscommon · 5 schools | 161 51% | 15% | 7% | 5% | −10 | |
| TullowCarlow · 11 schools | 625 44% | 20% | 6% | 6% | −14 | |
| South Suburbs–CorkCityCork · 6 schools | 967 39% | 28% | 15% | 13% | −15 | |
| Ballyfermot–D10Dublin · 11 schools | 1,267 42% | 35% | 19% | 18% | −17 | |
| KillaloeClare · Tipperary · 7 schools | 377 43% | 20% | 5% | 3% | −17 | |
| Dolphin's Barn–D12Dublin · 17 schools | 2,070 43% | 31% | 8% | 10% | −21 | |
| MountmellickLaois · Offaly · 8 schools | 373 44% | 37% | 10% | 9% | −28 | |
| RathdrumWicklow · 6 schools | 458 49% | 36% | 8% | 5% | −31 | |
| MacroomCork · 10 schools | 441 41% | 40% | 3% | 8% | −32 | |
| MitchelstownCork · Limerick · Tipperary · 11 schools | 413 43% | 41% | 10% | 6% | −35 | |
| RathanganKildare · Offaly · 4 schools | 406 50% | 79% | 10% | 24% | −55 | |
| CrosshavenCork · 4 schools | 261 47% | 71% | 13% | 11% | −60 |
No planning areas match that filter.
Ahead of places: the share of parents of children not yet at school who would prefer single-sex, less the share of the area's pupils in such schools now, in percentage points. Below zero, fewer parents would prefer it than the area has pupils in such schools.
Grey: fewer than 60 households with children not yet at school answered in that area, so a handful of answers moves the figure a long way.
Source: Department of Education and Youth, Primary School Survey results, published 23 June 2026. The Department's own results: All 314 areas (Excel) (opens in a new tab) · Interactive map (opens in a new tab) · Summary report with county figures (PDF) (opens in a new tab)