Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Although I am grateful to the Minister of State for reading the reply that was provided to her, I have to say that every piece of it was complete and utter nonsense. A solution must be found for the children of Skerries for next September. The Minister of State must give the House an indication that she understands the seriousness of the matter. She must give parents some hope. There is no hope in the reply she has read. In accordance with the up-to-date and accurate numbers I have put on the record of the House, there will be a requirement for two additional classrooms. The three modular classrooms referred to in the Minister of State's reply are due to be delivered to the school in the new year. They will not provide additional capacity. They will relieve the pressure within the school from the previous efforts to push up capacity. Storage closets and the school hall are currently being used as makeshift classrooms. The things that are being done in the school hall and all over the school represent last year's delayed response to the problems that exist. This is not new capacity and it will not deliver against what Deputy O'Reilly and I have raised. The children we are talking about do not have alternative options. It is nonsense to talk about different schools in different areas because there is no other option. Skerries is a school planning area in and of itself. It is not connected with any other area. The Minister and the Department must respond to the real crisis that exists in Skerries now. Skerries is a designated school planning area. We need proper planning and delivery. I urge the Minister of State to bring what we are saying to the attention of the Minister, Deputy McHugh. Based on the reply she has read, which I have described as nonsense, it is clear that we need to meet the Minister as a matter of urgency.

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