Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State does not have the full facts and I appreciate that is not her fault. There is plenty of room on that site. There is a three-year lease, of which this is the first year. I was out there yesterday. There is a large space on front of it and 20 prefabs could be put on it, not just two or three. The people will not move from this site. It would be unacceptable and outrageous that they would be asked to move four times to get the school they need. Some 2,000 parents have signed a petition and the children are angry. They live here and they want to go to school here.

Regarding the proposed site, St. Oliver's, more than €300,000 has been spent by the education board and the Department in preparing for a regional headquarters for the education board on that site. There is no way the school can go there. The only place it can go is on the site it is now for three years. There is a 10 acre site in that vicinity for a school zoned by Meath County Council, I have been told. The owner of the land says there is no issue and there is a letter to that effect with the school authorities. They have no problem accommodating any prefabs that may be proposed in the interim. They cannot be moved again. It is unacceptable and I will stand with and for those parents.

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