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

Page 86 of the programme for Government gives a number of commitments to investment in education, which is very badly needed. There are a number of key issues but I will focus on just two for now, the first being a commitment to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio and the other being related to an increase in the capitation grants, which is badly needed for every school considering the very many bills they have to pay. Will there be any progress on that?

I bring the Taoiseach's attention to a situation in Kildare. At least when we are talking about capitation grants, we are talking about circumstances where there is a school but, for many children approaching secondary school age, there is no school to meet the demand. It is very important that we make provision in this regard. The recent census shows that all of the statistics prove the case that exists for a new secondary school in south Kildare.

See this speech in context