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

On 13 April, the Minister for Education and Skills announced that 42 new schools would be built around the country, including 17 which would be up and running by next September. We are now six months on from that announcement, and almost nothing has happened. During the summer four patronage processes for secondary schools began, but they have not been completed because we do not have the results of the processes. Parents are currently visiting schools with their children to decide on the schools they might attend next year and they are asking about the schools the Minister promised six months ago. The Joint Committee on Education and Skills was promised that we would have an update on each of the 42 schools and the progress made on them by the end of September. I have not received that update, and I would be grateful if the Minister could update the House as to his announcement and give parents the information they need.

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