Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for allowing me to speak today because it is great to have the opportunity to have face-to-face engagement with the Department. I have had many discussions with the Department via parliamentary questions and emails.

I primarily want to raise the issue of capacity in the Greystones area. We have seen a very significant population growth there of more than 4,000 additional people since the last census, a 15% increase. I know there has been much investment in the area, that a great deal of work is happening and there are works planned for three schools, but we are not seeing them move.

It has been one year since planning permission was received for Coláiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole and it is awaiting the tendering process. Temple Carrig School is awaiting completion of stage 1 for additional accommodation and the indications are that it will be 2027 before that school is actually in place. I believe Greystones Community College received information today that 2025 will be the endpoint for it. I am pleased that date has been given for its completion.

I have also learned today that for September 2024, there will be 75 fewer secondary school places in Greystones. That information is coming from two of the schools which told me they will have to row back on their enrolments by 75 children. What will happen to those 75 children and how can the Department work with the existing schools in the area to ensure there will be sufficient accommodation for them? Enrolments for those schools will start in November, which is in only a few weeks away, and I will be inundated with very stressed parents who will want to know what will happen to their children. We cannot have a situation which we normally have in the town where it is May or June - it can be even August or September - before parents know they have a place for their child, particularly in that very important transition from primary level to secondary level. Will the Department please tell me how it intends to address that 75 child deficit in Greystones for 2024?

The second point I wish to raise with the Department is the provision of bus transport for access to sporting facilities. I am talking here about the North Wicklow Educate Together secondary school. We have 30 students each day who walk twenty minutes each way to get to sporting facilities. Last week, they could not do this because the weather was so bad. They need bus transport. Other schools are given the funding for this and that school has been waiting for three years for funding. The North Wicklow Educate Together school has a great number of children with additional needs and there are, I believe, health and safety risks with transporting and walking those children up that busy road. Will the Department please let me know when the school will receive funding as it is very important this happens as soon as possible?

I welcome the Department's comments on the special schools. I was in New Court school last week and met some of the students there who have to travel 1.5 hours each morning from places like Rathdrum and Bray. They were telling me how tiring this is and I welcome that the Department is looking at that. I would appreciate if the Department would keep me up-to-date with information on a new special school for the south Wicklow and north Wexford area.

Finally, the temporary accommodation is still not in place in Blessington Community College. It seems we have been thrown between the Department and the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB. Parents just want to know when it will happen, they want to see it on site, and it will certainly have to be done before the next intake of pupils. What is the latest information on that? I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach?