Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Acting Chairman's intervention on the time issue was timely. I will deal with the issue as quickly as I can. The Minister of State is aware of the particular situation which has emerged in Kilcock, County Kildare, which relates to the difficulty parents have in enrolling their children in Scoil Uí Riada, which moved to a new building in 2008. It has been very successful and caters for a wider catchment area than most people would expect. It provides educational facilities in the town of Kilcock along with two other schools, Scoil Choca Naofa and St. Joseph's. All of the schools are of an excellent quality and give an excellent service, but it just so happens, as has occurred in many other schools in areas with population expansion, that a difficulty has arisen in the current year. Many parents, some of whom are enrolling a first child, thought they had enrolled their child last year but now find they cannot obtain a place in the next school year.

I am aware this is a local issue, but it is one which can be resolved. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister of State for affording me the facility of raising the matter, which I am doing on the basis it might be possible to arrange a meeting, under the auspices of the Minister for Education and Skills, involving the patron, the school authorities and, perhaps, representation from the two other schools in the area, with a view to achieving a satisfactory and amicable solution. A great deal can be done on a subject of this nature at local level with encouragement from the statutory authorities such as the Department of Education and Skills, hence my request that if at all possible, at the earliest possible date, the Minister might arrange a meeting between all of the parties concerned to make a special effort to resolve the difficulty at this stage.

It should fall within the realms of easy resolution if we deal with it in time.

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