Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this issue. Everyone who follows the news will be familiar with the problems being experienced in rapidly developing parts of Dublin and other cities where the provision of school facilities has fallen behind the rapid increase in population. Fortunately, the position is better this year. Following the crisis that occurred last year, which resulted in the Department setting up emergency schools during the summer, action was taken in recent months. As a result of this and the decisions to establish one or two new schools in Dublin 15 while expanding existing schools, we will not experience the problems we had in the past.

The difficulty to which I refer concerns three schools — Castleknock community college, the only non-fee paying school in Castleknock, which has a population of 40,000; St. Mochta's national school in Clonsilla; and St. Brigid's national school, Beech Park Castleknock. The three schools were approached by the Department of Education and Science to expand. St. Mochta's was asked to accept a fourth stream and the community college was asked to increase its intake to 210 students per year. Each school agreed to do so. In return, they were promised new school buildings with modern classrooms to facilitate the expansion with two schools promised sports halls. However, the Department has not honoured its commitment and the schools have been informed they cannot apply for planning permission or even to go to architectural stage in one case.

That is a serious breach of faith on the part of the Department, which has a problem with schools refusing to expand. The schools to which I refer responded to the Department's need and went along with its request but they have been shafted for reasons that are unclear to them and myself. I am interested in the Minister of State's response. If he has influence with the line Minister in this regard, I appeal to him to put pressure on the Department to ensure these projects proceed because if they do not, the message will be sent to other schools that if they agree to a request by the Department to expand, they cannot rely on the commitment and guarantees given in return. That will have knock-on effects in other constituencies.

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