Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a final question. Shannon, County Clare, is Ireland's newest town. It was built in the 1960s and is quite close to the airport and industrial zone. The population has grown exponentially over the years. It is now a huge town.

The Department of Education has put enrolment caps in place, in particular in respect of St. Caimin's Community School. I do not think the Department fully recognises the needs of the town and hinterland that surrounds it. This policy is stifling school growth, enrolments and building, all of which are interlinked. I know the witnesses will say school building is their realm, but of all of these matters are interlinked. When we cap enrolment, we distort everything else across the school network.

On top of all the existing problems, I have been on the airwaves in recent days to speak about the 150 refugees who are due to come to the town. They will be very welcome, but dialogue with the school community needs to happen. Nobody has spoken to the five school principals in the area. I have asked parliamentary questions about this to try to get some information. I have been told by the Minister that the matters are commercially sensitive, yet RTÉ can be briefed on this.

I serve on the Government backbenches and cannot find the accurate information. The school community does not know what is happening. There needs to be some engagement. The Department probably needs to be the broker in the middle by saying there is solid Government information and a plan for it, as it did so well for the past 12 months. Let us not be blind or put blinkers over people's eyes and tell them to deal with something when it is on their doorstep. We need to engage, plan and deal with stakeholders.

This is not a criticism of the witnesses but rather of the lack of information. When people do not engage, we end up with far-right activism and all sorts of wrong information filling the void. I want the witnesses to be the middle broker for that. They might comment on the cap on enrolments in Shannon town, which is a blind approach to a large town with a massive hinterland. The Department has not fully grasped its needs for additional accommodation and enrolments.

The Department currently has a view that if one school is full, others will have to be filled. That does not work. We have to take cognisance of where people live, as well as their preferences and family links to schools. I hope the witnesses might encapsulate those points in the final remarks.