The State is paying out increasingly large sums of money for sites for new primary and secondary schools, particularly in areas of high population growth, latest figures released to The Irish Timesreveal.
The Department of Education figures show that it has paid some €81 million for 57 new school sites in the past 5½ years.
Among the main beneficiaries of the payments are private landowners, property developers, religious orders and trusts and local authorities.
In an indication of the financial impact of the move away from the traditional church-based schools - and the increasing value of such sites to landowners - more than one-third of the money went on just four sites in Dublin, Meath and Kildare between 2004 and this year.
The latest figures, which cover 2002 to 2007, also show that almost €30 million of the total was spent in the past 18 months.
With the school population projected to increase significantly in the coming years it is thought that the costs faced by the department in its attempts to provide suitable new school sites are also set to rise further.
The four most expensive sites on the list include €9.5 million paid to Fingal County Council and King of the Castle Ltd for just over five acres in Ongar/Castaheany in west Dublin and €8.975 million paid to Thomas Durcan for more than 20 acres in Laytown and Bettystown, Co Meath. Also included is €6.35 million paid to the Japanese Sundai Ireland international school in Newbridge, Co Kildare, and almost €5.4 million to the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross of Liege for 2.35 acres at Beechpark, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.
The list also reveals significant differences in the prices paid for similar-sized sites in different areas. For example, a 1.75-acre site in Claremorris, Co Mayo, was bought from Bridie Cosgrove for €65,000 this year; similarly, a six-acre site in Dysartbeagh, Mountrath, Co Laois, was purchased from a John MacInerney for €480,000 last year.
By comparison, property development group Menolly received €3.195 million for two sites in Castaheany, west Dublin (3 acres), and Dunboyne, Co Meath (2½ acres), while another development company, Castlethorn Construction, received €3.268 million for a three-acre site in Sandyford.
The decision to purchase all new school sites was taken by the Government in 1999, partly in response to the demand for multi-denominational schools.
Last February, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin announced that the State's first community school at primary level, which will be overseen by a local vocational educational committee (VEC), is to be located at Diswellstown, near Coolmine, Co Dublin.
Many VECs have access to significant land banks through their ties with local councils. The figures do not include payments for all sites purchased or in the process of being purchased.