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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

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 planning 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. Including Skerries, Ballyfermot–D10, Kinvara and Roscarbery Show these 65 areas 40 planning areas have no multi-denominational school, though half or more of parents of children not yet at school there would prefer one. Including Crosshaven, Ballybrack–Shankill–DLR, Dublin–6w and Kilfinane Shown below

40 of 314 areas

These 40 areas have no multi-denominational school, though half or more of parents of children not yet at school there would prefer one. Show all 314 areas

About these figures

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CrosshavenCork · 4 schools 261 47% 0% 58% 84% +84
Ballybrack–Shankill–DLRDublin · 5 schools 512 39% 0% 60% 70% +70
Dublin–6wDublin · 7 schools 1,030 37% 0% 62% 68% +68
KilfinaneLimerick · 4 schools 206 60% 0% 48% 67% +67
SchullCork · 2 schools 82 44% 0% 53% 67% +67
RathfarnhamDublin · 11 schools 1,723 46% 0% 58% 66% +66
Ballingeary GaeltachtCork · 3 schools 52 38% 0% 38% 65% +65
KinsaleCork · 8 schools 641 49% 0% 58% 65% +65
Passage WestCork · 3 schools 279 34% 0% 52% 62% +62
CastlegregoryKerry · 3 schools 120 46% 0% 45% 60% +60
Ballintemple–CorkCityCork · 11 schools 1,034 40% 0% 59% 59% +59
Booterstown–BlackrockDublin · 6 schools 583 43% 0% 51% 59% +59
RoscarberyCork · 5 schools 192 46% 0% 57% 59% +59
RathdrumWicklow · 6 schools 458 49% 0% 55% 58% +58
GraignamanaghCarlow · Kilkenny · 4 schools 149 45% 0% 40% 57% +57
Ros Dumhach GaeltachtMayo · 2 schools 20 46% 0% 15% 57% +57
SkibereenCork · 18 schools 498 47% 0% 57% 57% +57
Carrick GaeltachtDonegal · 4 schools 69 35% 0% 39% 56% +56
BantryCork · 14 schools 349 40% 0% 60% 54% +54
Beaumont–CoolockD5Dublin · 10 schools 1,299 43% 0% 49% 54% +54
Malahide–NevinstownDublin · 5 schools 1,083 43% 0% 50% 54% +54
CobhCork · 7 schools 563 38% 0% 47% 53% +53
BorrisokaneTipperary · 6 schools 204 39% 0% 49% 52% +52
GrangeSligo · 7 schools 292 47% 0% 49% 52% +52
KilternanDublin · 3 schools 395 44% 0% 56% 52% +52
LaytownMeath · 4 schools 690 44% 0% 45% 52% +52
Prosperous–ClaneKildare · 11 schools 1,207 48% 0% 49% 52% +52
BallingarryTipperary · 5 schools 118 44% 0% 33% 51% +51
BallisodareSligo · 5 schools 247 41% 0% 42% 51% +51
BandonCork · 15 schools 862 41% 0% 48% 51% +51
BridgetownWexford · 8 schools 629 45% 0% 47% 51% +51
ClifdenGalway · 13 schools 218 46% 0% 45% 51% +51
DunboyneMeath · 5 schools 429 40% 0% 48% 51% +51
KilkeeClare · 7 schools 107 37% 0% 39% 51% +51
KilmacthomasWaterford · 8 schools 369 52% 0% 44% 51% +51
Spiddal–Inverin GaeltachtGalway · 6 schools 539 61% 0% 50% 51% +51
BlanchardstownVge–D15Dublin · 11 schools 1,119 33% 0% 40% 50% +50
BlarneyCork · 8 schools 765 40% 0% 46% 50% +50
Dingle GaeltachtKerry · 11 schools 298 52% 0% 51% 50% +50
ShannonClare · 14 schools 871 40% 0% 43% 50% +50

Ahead of places: the share of parents of children not yet at school who would prefer a multi-denominational patron, 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) · Interactive map · Summary report with county figures (PDF)