Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to gather figures from different schools. My secretary has checked with nearly all the schools in the area at this stage. We have found that with the primary schools there is a question about people applying to a number of different schools which you termed dual or multiple applications. I spoke to a principal as late as yesterday evening about this. He told me that is not now happening, that there is a reference. Going by that, in the primary sector in the Portlaoise area, there is a need for between 190 and 200 places. Some of the children from my estate in Portlaoise town are going five, seven or ten miles to school on buses. They are going to places like Barnashrone, Timahoe and Mountrath, all over the place. The schools within the Catholic parish are Ratheniska and The Heath and they are full to capacity. Even with bussing children to a range of other schools, including Stradbally, there is still a shortfall of almost 200 places. I do not expect Mr. Loftus to speak for the Minister. However, she told me in the Dáil last year that there was no need for another primary school. I am saying that there is a huge need for another primary school in Portlaoise. I ask for this issue to be revisited. I know the Department is trying to deal with a lot of issues. With the intake into the schools we are falling short by a number of places. I acknowledge the new schools that have been built, but there is a huge need. At secondary level, there is a need for somewhere in the region of 120 to 150 places in the area, as far as I can ascertain. Again, in this case, children in the Portlaoise area are being bussed to secondary schools way outside of the area. There are now estates in Portlaoise with almost 900 dwellings in them. There are new estates. Maryborough village has roughly 300 houses. I canvassed it recently and it took a few goes to get it done. There is well in excess of 500 houses on it now. There are estates up roads all over the place. I ask the officials to revisit this because over the summer public representatives will be plagued by people who cannot get places for their children.

I spoke to Mr. Loftus recently on the phone about ASD units across the county and thank him for his help with the matter. This is coming from people including principals within the special education sector. As far as I can ascertain, somewhere in the region of 50 places are required at primary level and 60 at secondary level. In Rathdowney Errill, Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Portarlington and in the east of the county in Shanganamore and Barrowhouse there is a shortage of spaces. There is a huge need there. What I am impressing on Mr. Loftus is that I want him to come back to the committee with a detailed note. I do not expect him to have all those localised figures off the top his head, but what I do want is a comprehensive picture of what the Department's assessment is. The Minister has told me that there is no problem. Let me rephrase that because I do not want to misrepresent her, she has said that we do not need a new school. However, I am saying that I cannot see where these children are going to go. Do we start bussing them out of the county? At this stage, everything within a radius is full. The other problem arising in the area is that it is not just for the junior cycle. Families are moving in who have children in second, third, fourth and fifth classes. When these are counted up that is what is adding to that huge number at local level for primary schools, because they are up along the different years. The same applies at secondary level. There is a site at Coláiste Dhún Másc. It has 570 children. There is a plan for school for 1,000 pupils. That is stuck where it is.

The education and training board want to move this on and its staff are anxious about it, as is, I am sure, the CEO. ETB staff have been diligent in trying to push it forward. I want the Department to take an interest in this project. It is essential that this second level school gets off the blocks because, whatever about the demographics of the county and across the State, the population of Portlaoise is going in one direction only. In 25 years, it has gone from 7,000 or 8,000 to 24,000 or 26,000 in the census in 2022. In terms of housing and everything else, we are talking about a population well in excess of 30,000. The estate I live in has increased in size by 50% in the last 12 months. There were 105 houses and there are now 169 houses. That is how quickly this is happening and we do not have the schools needed. I ask Mr. Loftus to respond.