John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The principal of Holy Family national school has indicated the significant number of children he is unable to accommodate this year. Some 117 applications were made to the school which has only been able to accommodate 93 pupils in classrooms with 31 children Some 24 pupils have been left to their own devices. If people cancel, they may be accommodated, but it is still a significant number. At the same time, the Irish language school, Scoil Chrónáin, has three additional emergency classrooms being provided in the community centre. There is a very significant issue with this year's enrolment in September. The school is at capacity and as new families move into the area, they will not always have children to be placed in junior infants; they may be placed in other classes or looking for a school place, but most of the classrooms are full to capacity.

This time two years ago we had a debate in this House about the provision of second level education in the general Citywest area and the Government had no plans to provide it. It was not until April 2018 that there was an announcement of a new school. The reason I say this is not to have a go at the Government but to highlight the rapidly changing demographics and population growth in the area. Will the Minister agree to reconsider and re-examine this area? The provision he is making for the general area is on Fortunestown Lane which is not appropriate or significant, considering what is required in Rathcoole which, in its own right, requires additional school capacity. The housing developments in the immediate vicinity will fill the new eight-classroom school on Fortunestown Lane. We, therefore, have two issues that we wish to raise with the Minister. Can he give us any advice on what can be done with the children from Rathcoole who would like to have a place there this year? Second, on the longer term development of a new school, can we look at providing a new primary school in the Rathcoole school planning area, not elsewhere in Saggart or Citywest, as is being proposed?

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