Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is an important subject and I share the concerns Deputy Burton has outlined to the House about the proper development of primary education in the area.

The Minister is conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and that as a result there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places. I am conscious of that demand too and I assure the Deputy I have worked unceasingly in that regard with the planning unit in Tullamore and with the school principals, teachers and parents in the area. I join in the tribute the Deputy paid to them. They have gone a long way towards meeting the accommodation difficulties which the Deputy outlined to the House. To date, however, there has not been a Groundhog Day in Dublin West because the Minister, her officials, the school principals and parents have worked together to find solutions. That is what we must do this year too. I appreciate that Deputy Burton is committed to finding solutions in this area too.

The Department of Education and Science has taken a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All building projects arising from these interventions are awarded a band one priority rating under the Department's prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects to ensure they are delivered as expeditiously as possible. The allocation of financial resources is not the issue in the provision of primary education in Dublin 15.

See this speech in context