Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When schools are increasing their enrolment and, say, moving from 500 students to 750, which is happening a lot now in larger towns and especially in secondary schools, as a matter of course, all the facilities in the school are set for 500 pupils but the school moves to 750. What planning work is the Department doing in respect of that? For example, instead of just getting a few general classrooms to accommodate 750 pupils, the school is entitled to other accommodation it needs, such as specialist rooms, canteens, general purposes areas and increased work areas for staff or bigger staffrooms. Mr. Loftus knows where I am coming from. Often, the Department would say there is only enough room for the classrooms. That is not good enough because the school is only going to get bigger. What are Mr. Loftus’s thoughts on that?