Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I note what the Deputy says about Maynooth University and the 17,000 students who will attend it. I also note that Maynooth Post Primary School, which is the co-educational school I mentioned, has 1,120 pupils. There is quite a considerable amount of education going on in a very small, constricted area. That sort of collaboration and engagement between the relevant schoolgoing communities, as well as the third level institution, is extremely important because of health and safety and the recreational facilities. The Deputy spoke in his contribution about the proliferation of children crossing and recrossing an extremely busy road. All of those issues have to be taken into account. I hope some accommodation can be made regarding the recreational facilities.

The Deputy's written submission refers to a swimming pool. The Department does not have any record of any proposal for a swimming pool on the site of the vacated property. If the Deputy is still interested in that particular topic, I suggest he take it up with KWETB as it may have some further information on that.

Accommodation could be made for the Maynooth Boys' National School regarding facilities as long as it has vacated the site by the time the Gaelcholáiste takes its place. As I said, there will be 500 pupils in a co-educational school coming into the vacated site so there is a lot of construction going on. I thank the Deputy for his continued representations on this matter. I will bring this conversation to the attention of the Minister. We obviously want the works on both those schools to be expedited and to take place and be completed as soon as possible.

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