A €1.5 billion programme to provide new schools in the greater Dublin area has been announced by the government.

Education minister Ruairi Quinn is set to reveal details of plans to construct new schools in order to create 80,000 school places.

The building initiative will run from 2012 until 2016 and is said to have been prompted by the dramatic surge in the birth rate over the past eight years.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, a government official commented: "Between now and 2018, the total enrolment at primary and second level is estimated to increase by about 70,000 - 45,000 at primary and 25,000 at secondary."

The project is intended to provide a total of 100,000 places, 80,000 of which will be new and 20,000 of which will replace current temporary and sub-standard accommodation.

Last year, a report released by the Economic and Social Research Institute revealed Ireland has the highest birth rate in Europe, at 17 births per 1,000 members of the population.

View details of the 275 major school building projects here

Written by Donal Walsh

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