Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask the fundamental question about the three schools. What is the current position? They have acknowledged communications, but most schools would overlook all of the past problems if they could get reliable information on when their projects would go ahead.

I have a number of other questions. I ask one of the delegates to describe the geographic information system in more detail. Is it a computer programme? Is it based on the Haase index in the Department with responsibility for rural affairs, which is based on a system devised by a foreign academic, or what is it? Is it something I can buy in a shop or just the way the Department looks at figures? I want more detail on it.

Regarding some other school projects in my area, I have mentioned Scoil na Tríonóide in Lismulln which is very similar to Whitecross national school in that it is mainly prefabs and has been on the list almost as long as it. I would like to receive some information on the school. I highlight how bad the conditions are in the school which, although in a rural area, is situated in an area of expansion in the hinterland of Navan.

I want to inquire about the position on three schools in Dunboyne, namely, Dunboyne junior and senior national schools and St. Peter's national school. In the case of St. Peter's national school, has the site acquisition process been completed?

We have discussed Eureka secondary school previously. A it is part of the Carillion set-up, there is not much the delegates can add today, as representatives of the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, are not present.

I also mention Franciscan College in Gormanston and O'Carolan College in Nobber. There is a range of schools on the list, some of which are in dire need. My concern is that the budget is not sufficient. I do not know whether the officials can comment on this, but the list published last Friday - I do not quibble with it - has a price tag, without land costs, of approximately €500 million. What will be the impact? The Irish Timesreported that, effectively, the promoters of 575 projects were being told that they would not be able to go ahead. We need to hear a comment on this. They include all of the schools I have mentioned.

Can the delegates reply on the list published last Friday? For how many of the projects have sites been acquired, if any? Certain areas are not included in the list. I was surprised to see that Ashbourne had not been included for the provision of a new school. I am sorry to be specific, but this applies to other areas also. The locations of some of the schools announced are extremely vague. For example, the one with which I am most familiar is the Drogheda-Laytown catchment area. It could extend anywhere from Clogherhead to Gormanston to Slane and Duleek. It is a massive area. I have suggested to the officials previously that a secondary school could be located in Duleek. Has the Department looked in detail at that catchment area? I am glad that it has acknowledged that there is a need for a school in the area, but has it been examined in detail? Will the delegates outline the position because many parents want to know where the school will be located? From talking to colleagues throughout the country I am aware that the Galway city-Oranmore regional solution has also been listed. The reference to Enfield is specific, but there is a lack of specifics in the case of some areas, for example, Kilcoole and Greystones. The villages of Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy are not that far apart, but they are separate. However, they are listed as together. If the delegates cannot provide clarity today - I am particularly interested in the Drogheda-Laytown catchment area - when will they be able to provide it in order that parents will be able to make informed decisions?

In terms of places at primary level in September 2019, parents will have been carefully considering the schools to which they should send their children. We know that a new school will be established, which will probably be welcomed by many of them if they are having problems in finding a place. In terms of places at second level, presumably children now in fifth class will be able to attend some of the schools to be established in 2019, but they are already looking at other schools in their areas. There is a particular reason I mentioned Drogheda and Laytown. Depending on where the school is located, many children will not be interested because it will be in the wrong area as it is such a large catchment area. I assume the same applies to the Galway city-Oranmore solution. If the school is placed in one side of the area, it will attract children in that area but not from others. As parents currently cannot make that decision, we need a timeline as to when decisions will be made, if they have not already been made.