Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am interested in examining development plans and looking at how school sites can be made available. It pains me to have to pay so much for some sites, particularly in the greater Dublin area. However, it must be acknowledged that many of the sites are private personal property. It is an issue that will arise in other Departments in the next several years. An individual's personal property cannot be taken from him or her for whatever use, as there are constitutional issues involved. I am looking for any process to alleviate the problems, particularly in the new growth areas.

The idea of an education campus is positive, particularly with the sharing of sporting and community facilities. A whole culture of education can be created around an education campus, which can then be opened to adults. However, such a scheme is much easier for a new community to develop than an existing one. We are examining this system where lands are available.

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