Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)

As a parent of a child who attends one these schools, I would like to acknowledge the fantastic service put into place yesterday to help those who were injured in the accident. It is a traumatic time for the neighbouring parishes because there are 3,000 to 4,000 children involved. It has not been an easy morning but we appreciated the visits of the relevant Ministers last night who called to houses in the area. I encourage Members to visit the people of the area, particularly those in Beauparc.

This is the second time that a school in the Navan area has had to suffer the death of loved ones. This happened in an area where road works were taking place. Can the Minister of State ask the relevant Departments to ensure that all precautions are taken when road works are being carried out? Nobody knows what happened. However, what happened twice can happen three times. Help given to the area must be extended to the Drogheda area, as many boys from Beauparc go to school in Drogheda and they will definitely need support. Everything must be done to ensure that children sitting their exams are given adequate support. No money should be spared to facilitate these children.

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