Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With the greatest of respect to the Minister of State and the forum, there are many more areas that the forum needs to consider. I acknowledge that there are really wonderful community groups within the camp and surrounding areas. The personnel of the Defence Forces engage with them, particularly in regard to the Curragh PRIDE resource centre. I was delighted to have some of the ladies involved here as my guests recently.

So much more could be done under the remit of the Department. There are approximately 1,500 personnel stationed within the camp at any given time. There are many others also. There are two primary schools, which are DEIS schools. Both are under the dual patronage of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin and the Minister for Defence, which the Minister of State will acknowledge is quite unusual and demonstrates his responsibility. The secondary school is also a DEIS school and is under the auspices of the ETB. It is run by the board of management. Its location causes a problem, however. It is in the centre of the Curragh Camp. There is an excellent new principal, Ms Nessa Lawlor. I was delighted to see one of the groups winning awards recently. The figures of the Department of Education and Skills show that the school is undersubscribed. While it has the capacity for 225 students, it has in the region of 169. The Department of Education and Skills, other patron boards and the Department of Defence could play a valuable role here in dealing with the problem of oversubscription in schools in the area and possibly in providing a site for a new school, bearing in mind the needs of the ETB. Those concerned should really work together to make sure the school will be a school of choice.

See this speech in context