Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo what Deputy Ó Laoghaire said. The job specification of school secretaries has changed dramatically over the years. They are now almost as important as the school principal because they run the school side-by-side with the principal. They now have enormous responsibilities compared with what they had in the past. I encourage the Minister and her Department to do whatever they can to sort out their problem because they are a very important cog in the operation of schools. I believe the Minister recognises that. I know there is much work going on in the background with the WRC. It is good that everybody is at the table. I encourage the Department to expedite the matter.

We have had an enormous increase in our population, not only in cities but throughout the country. School places, particularly secondary school places, are becoming a problem. Students often need to travel 20 km or 30 km to get to a secondary school which is unacceptable. In Wexford town, the schools are bursting at the seams and it is a big issue. What work is the Department doing to look at predictions for population increases? There will be an enormous financial demand for school buildings in coming years and the Minister will be looking for an increase in budget. Other Departments will also be looking for increases in their budgets and there will be serious competition between Departments. Education for children is paramount. What work is going on to prepare for the increasing population?