Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is aware of this issue. An existing post-primary school in Maynooth is in one of the areas identified as requiring additional capacity. Parents campaigned for the patronage of the new school, with the VEC and other potential patrons. They had an expectation that when the VEC was selected it would mean that there would be one large school in Maynooth.

The parents’ group sought a particular version of this model. I know the group met with the Minister's officials before Christmas and, subsequently, put forward a letter seeking clarification. The Department came back to the group, stating this can provide a constructive basis for now considering further practical measures and operational policy approaches that can foster a strong sense of a unified identity in the post-primary school. The group wants to know what this means in practice. It is concerned that the response is at a more superficial level than it would want.

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