Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to record my delight at having two more colleagues on this side of the House. The fact that Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan chose to make his maiden speech about the importance of education is significant. Deputy Malcolm Byrne also spent a long time working in the education sector and we might say he made his second maiden speech on education. They will be two valued colleagues not just in the Fianna Fáil Party but in terms of their experience in the education sector. That experience will be directed to the improvement of education policy in the country and not just on this side of the House. We hope and expect that their influence and interest will lead to positive results.

I will pick up on a few points, and all the points were very well made by the Members. As I mentioned, the report covered a number of key issues in the education sector. We have put practical suggestions in the report and a number of these came from the stakeholders. I thank the 20 stakeholders who came to meet with the committee for a very good engagement on this issue.

In terms of the points the Minister made earlier, he referred to communication. It certainly is better. About two years ago we had the opportunity to look at many areas where there were new builds, but there was a very difficult system of communication. I acknowledge that it is better. In particular, the recommendation we made about having a dedicated person liaising with each school regarding a new build or a sizeable extension and somebody working on behalf of the school is crucial.

I also welcome the initiative on common enrolment policies. I could never understand why that was not done. In Newbridge, the 11 primary schools in the parish had this system, and it also certainly worked in terms of ensuring greater integration. I am glad there is a national initiative in that regard.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan spoke about the need for more engagement with local authorities.

That engagement right across the board is very important. When I was a councillor, we dealt two successive times, seven years apart, with one plan in regard to a particular area, Athgarvan. Within the local area, a piece of land was zoned for educational purposes, even though everybody knew the person who owned the land was never going to sell and repeatedly said he was never going sell the land for education purposes. Despite telling the planners and those involved, they said this was the best place for a school and they kept it zoned and would not look anywhere else. That makes no sense and shows no joined-up thinking whatsoever. The practical experience of being involved in the school community is important.

The whole area of AST classes is very important. At present, particularly for those who are leaving primary school and need to go into a mainstream secondary school, we only have 25% of what we need. In all of our constituencies, we all know of the huge frustration from parents who, since their child was born, have been fighting to get early intervention and get a place within the school. To then discover, eight years later, when there is a natural progression, that there is no place at second level is an appalling indictment of the education system.

We have an increasing population, of that there is no doubt. Despite what the Minister of State said about the Department looking at figures on forward planning, I do not think they are captured appropriately. We made this point in Tullamore, when we went to meet the Department in regard to forward planning, and some of the areas we highlighted were not in the original list of 42 new schools that the Minister of State mentioned. More schools have had to be added since, given that what the committee was bringing to bear proved to be correct.

The Minister of State mentioned the whole notion of facilities being used outside of school hours, and I could not agree more. I could never understand why school facilities would be locked at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. I know insurance has been an issue in many cases but I believe that, in any new build, there has to be a situation where general purpose rooms and PE rooms have an independent door that can be accessed from outside and which the community can use. In Two Mile House, just outside Kilcullen, the school had no PE facilities but it now has a site, donated by the parish, and is starting, together with the community, to try to get the LEADER funding for a hall which will service the community as well as the school, which is the way to go.

I thank the Minister of State and thank all involved for their positive and proactive engagement. I want to offer final thanks to the secretariat and a particular mention to our now former Clerk, Alan Guidon, who this week has gone on to another role in the Oireachtas. Alan's help, support, experience and wisdom have been invaluable over the past two years to me, as Chair, and to the committee as a whole. We wish him well in his new appointment.

I note the Minister of State has taken on board some of the recommendations and we look forward to him taking on board the rest of the recommendations we have made.

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