Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Tá mé ag roinnt leath mo chuid ama leis an Teachta Cowley. I rise to give voice to the extreme concerns of parents and their children in the Laytown-Bettystown area of east Meath. Those children will need a place this September in Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa in Laytown. The parents' association has issued a statement:

The failure locally to plan for or provide suitable and sufficient school facilities and places has led to the situation where there are currently no class rooms for 98 junior infants due to start school in 2 months time. An application for planning permission for temporary accommodation has been made for the school grounds and across the road in the grounds of the parochial hall but the only acceptable solution is delivery of a permanent site and school as outlined in the recently published East Meath Development Plan.We are aware this is a problem not unique to East Meath but is unfortunately familiar in many rapidly expanding commuter towns.

The Minister of State knows well that we have a similar problem in Dublin West, which I represent. Deputy Cowley and I have visited these parents and children in Laytown to see at first hand the problems they are enduring. The parents also comment on the Taoiseach's response to me yesterday when I pressed him on infrastructure and education for new areas:

In reply Mr Ahern said "in Laytown, where the Deputy was this morning, the number of schools that have been built there is enormous". Unfortunately the Taoiseach has been misinformed in this regard and this statement is untrue. His cabinet colleagues and local TDs; former education Minister Mr Noel Dempsey and junior Minister Mary Wallace whose constituency office is located less than 1 mile from our school; can confirm this.

It is very remiss of the local public representatives from the Government side to have failed to fight like dogs to ensure this facility is provided. I seek emergency action so that the children in question will be catered for this September.

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