Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the issue of the need for a forensic assessment of the educational needs of Scoil Dara in Kilcock, County Kildare and its implications for other schools in north Kildare affected by a dramatically expanding population, thereby highlighting the demand for preschool, primary, post-primary and special needs requirements in the general area. This is necessary and I ask the Minister to have a very careful look at an assessment that has not been done before in an area that is now experiencing an unprecedented population increase. Parents are concerned that siblings of children already in the school may not be able to join them. The indications so far are that the school will not be capable of meeting demand in the area, as has been set out by my colleague, and I also attended the public meeting to which he referred.

There is a danger this could become a rolling issue that gains momentum as time goes by and that public confidence in the ability of the system to deal with the expanding population and school enrolment requirements might create an unnecessary problem. There is a suggestion that in a year's time or more, the Gaelcholáiste in Maynooth and the proposed school in Enfield, the patronage of which has not yet been agreed, will relieve the pressure but, unfortunately, that will be too late. There is an urgent need to look now at the entire Kildare North constituency with a view to averting the type of problem emerging in Kilcock and likely to emerge elsewhere.

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