Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is some confusion here. Obviously the decision was made to create diversity in the town of Trim with the addition of another option for parents and children. Some level of demographic research must have informed that decision. The Minister mentions the idea of demographic research as though it is a new thing. He speaks as though it struck the Department in the last few weeks that it must be done. Demographic research is carried out within the Department on an ongoing basis. For the Government to decide to set up a school on the basis of no demographic research is a nonsense. Of course the school was set up on the basis of demographic projections into the future.

There is a further difficulty here because in all the conversations the school, the board of management, the principals and Educate Together have had with the Department, it was never discussed that there would be a half-stream limit on the school or that there would not be a normal stream within the school.

The Minister said that the school is applying for additional enrolment but it is not. The school is looking to enrol a new stream every year. There is no change in its approach.

Let us call a spade a spade. This half-assed decision to force a half stream cap on the school is based on funding decisions made within the Department. The Minister is correct that a school building was divested on Patrick Street, Trim, to be made available for Educate Together, but, as late as last year, the Department was saying plans were ready to kick in for the refurbishment of that building to make it accessible to the school. If the school is set up and the resources for it to function are provided, that cannot be that difficult.

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