Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I attended and was deeply involved in some of these well-attended public meetings. Together with the other Deputies, I was aware that people were very clear as to what they sought. There was no expectation that there would be two vertical schools within the community on a single campus and I note this is replicated nowhere else in the country. However, part of the fall-out from that decision is that this week the Department of Education and Skills will be dealing with section 29 appeals. At one public meeting I attended recently, the single issue that came up repeatedly from parents was that if the child concerned did not get into the existing post-primary school, he or she would feel that he or she had been rejected. This is no way for a child to start secondary school. In many of his replies the Minister has acknowledged the trauma associated with the major change from primary to secondary school. This is absolutely magnified with regard to those children who did not get places in the school. The issue must be dealt with in a highly sensitive way. Moreover, it must not be dealt with in a superficial manner, but a much more unified approach must be taken. This is what people seek and if that requires another ballot, then so be it.

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