Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

I support Deputy Crowe's amendment and would speak to my own amendment No. 39. This is the section dealing with the strategic plan. The section states: "The strategic plan shall consist of a written statement and plan indicating the objectives for the development of the Grangegorman site". It then lists the various objectives. My amendment seeks to add an objective to the list (a) to (k), namely, the provision of a site for the Dublin 7 Educate Together national school. With Deputies Gogarty and Crowe, I tabled this amendment because the Dublin 7 Educate Together national school has been built up from nothing. In recognition of the educational disadvantage and lack of educational opportunities in the area, parents got together and built up a school. The school is in temporary accommodation at present. The parents have sought for sites over the years and have met all the relevant agencies and public representatives, including the Taoiseach. As part of their campaign, they sought a commitment for the provision of the Grangegorman site for their school long before this Bill appeared.

Other members of the House and I have tabled a series of questions in recent years in support of and as part of that campaign. I submitted Parliamentary Question No. 322 to the then Minister for Education and Science on Tuesday, 15 June 2004, which asked:

The timeframe for the exchange of lands at Grangegorman, Dublin 7, from his Department to the DIT; when the necessary legislation will be ready; if provision is being made for a primary school on the site as previously agreed with Dublin 7 Educate Together; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The then Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, replied:

It is my intention to publish a Bill for the establishment of an agency to develop Grangegorman as a site for education, health and other facilities. It will be known as the Grangegorman development agency. The agency will be responsible for producing a comprehensive plan for the development of the site in consultation with interested parties, including local residents, Dublin Institute of Technology, health authorities, transport providers and Dublin City Council.

Most pointedly, the Minister then stated: "My Department has always envisaged that the development of the Grangegorman site has the scope to help facilitate the long-term primary and post primary needs of the area including those of Dublin 7 Educate Together." This was seen as a clear commitment to the House that this would be part of the strategic plan's objectives for the development of the Grangegorman site and that provision would be made for this worthy local school. Regardless of whether my amendment is accepted, I sincerely hope the commitment is honoured. I am sure it will be. In conflict with this, however, there is no reference to such an objective anywhere in the strategic plan. I asked a question of the current Minister on Committee Stage and remember her response but I will ask her again to honour this commitment by placing this issue in the list of objectives.

See this speech in context