Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the course of the local area plan consultation, people were asked to identify the problems in the area and everyone pointed to the lack of a community centre and education facilities, among other issues which I outlined. The situation is not good enough. This is a vast area and people are being told there is capacity at the other end of Finglas to deal with the population needs. The population is rising and more houses and apartments are being built.

I note what the Minister said about how he calculates what is needed in the area in terms of the building of schools but I do not accept it. There is an opportunity to build a multidenominational Irish or other school in the area. Such a school is badly needed. The area is vast and the public transport linkages are very poor and people must travel a distance to bring their children to school.

I urge the Minister to talk to the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney. It is not good enough to build residential developments and not to put infrastructural facilities in place. I accept the responsibility of the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is education, but I would be grateful if he could ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to examine the issue with his officials and convey to the local authority in question, Fingal County Council, that in future, it must ensure proper facilities are put in place. Those facilities include schools. There is a need for schools in the area as there is a growth in population and more housing schemes are coming on-stream. There will be a deficit of school places in the future and the Minister must make provision for that. It is all well and good looking at statistics but when one is on the ground one sees the need and people tell us they need the facilities.

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