Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the Deputies for raising this matter, since it gives me an opportunity to talk to my officials about long-term planning in particular areas. Without going over what has been said about additional accommodation for Scoil Dara, I wish to tell the Deputies and parents who are concerned about what will happen next September that there are solutions that we can, and will, put in place. If that means providing additional temporary accommodation at Scoil Dara long before next September, we are prepared to do that. The Deputies might use their communications and networking with the school authority to encourage it to submit an application to the Department for temporary accommodation in order to get us over the vacuum of uncertainty. That vacuum drives parents nuts because they do not know the score as to when something will happen. We need a temporary solution for next September. Let us get that sorted.

There was a suggestion about Enfield's patronage. We will keep the process moving.

The preliminary stage for acquiring additional accommodation at Scoil Dara has been devolved to the school. I am happy to provide assistance to the school, but let us keep this moving. Parents and the wider community attended the public meeting. Public meetings can be heated and become forums for expressing frustration, but whatever needs to be done to ensure that students are sitting at desks next September will be done.

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