Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The primary schools in Drogheda are massive. There has been no new second level provision on the south side of Drogheda. The primary schools in east Meath are massive and are doing a great job. There are some great buildings and some are still on the list. However, there has been no extra second level school in the area, apart from Laytown, which is six years old. Balbriggan is not an answer to the east Meath issue, and I worry increasingly about Drogheda and the numbers there. Sacred Heart Secondary School in Drogheda takes pupils from south Louth and east Meath and should be considered very carefully for extra provision. The school needs it, given that it has not had much work done ever and it does a great job, as does St. Mary's Diocesan School. I urge the Minister to examine it. I keep raising it because a mistake was made on the primary side. The Department was off the ball and off its game this year in Ashbourne, and this worries me regarding the future.

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