Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

In many ways, the Tyrellstown area is a case study of disintegrated planning in this country. The estate is nearing completion but the original houses are ten years old at this stage. There are 2,500 houses and the area is home to 8,000 people, most of whom are families with young children, paying very large mortgages. They should not have to worry about basic matters such as whether there will be a school which their children can attend next year. There is no park, no community centre and no secondary school site, which will be needed soon.

There are two excellent primary schools, both in temporary buildings on an inappropriate temporary site owned by the council. For a very long time we have been promised that a site will be acquired for permanent schools. The site has been identified. The owner has sought and received planning permission for a school and community centre on the site and has offered to sell it for €1 to the Department of Education and Science, or to the council, as the need may be, but for the past number of years there has been a triangle of denial and disinterest, with the council, the developer and the Department passing the buck among themselves as to whose responsibility it is to acquire the site and whose fault it is that matters are not progressing at this time. I do not know whose fault it is at this stage and I do not care.

The Minister for Finance, who is a local Deputy, promised people in both the run up to the last general election and during the recent local elections that the acquisition of the site was imminent and that school buildings would be there in time for the following September. On both occasions he reneged on those promises which clearly were made in bad faith in the run-up to electoral contest.

The situation is a disgrace and is an indictment of this Government. It is an embarrassment to all of us who are involved in politics that people have been let down in this way. I ask the Minister of State to give us some good news this evening, some real evidence of progress and at least allow the parents of these young children, coming towards Christmas, the security of knowing that progress is being made, the site will be acquired and the new buildings will be there in time for next September so their children will have a school to attend.

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