David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter and I thank the Minister of State for being here. Every year we have pressures in east Cork with regard to second level school places. Thanks to the work of the departmental officials, the education and training board and the principals of the local schools, it has been resolved every year, but every year it becomes more pressurised and it takes longer. I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate the stresses and worry that occur in families where a child does not have a place in a secondary school and that child is asking what is wrong with him or her and wondering why he or she has not been offered a place.

I am particularly concerned about this year. All of the principals came together earlier in the year and they compared notes, lists and so on, but from the work I have done on the ground, I am concerned there could be up to 100 students without school places in September unless serious action is taken. I wrote to the Minister on this last December. She responded to me after Christmas and I thank her and her office for that. She spoke about duplication of applications, school of choice, pupils being unable to get a place in their preferred school, some towns having single-sex schools, and an external draw with people coming from outside of the area. All of these issues have been dealt with by the principals and we still have a situation where in some schools there are up to 40 students who have not applied to any other school and who are on a waiting list to go to one particular school.

The principals are working hard, their staff are working hard and I pay tribute to what they have done over the Covid period but this is coming up fast and we need to get a plan in place now. We know it takes time to put a plan in place so that all of these students can be offered a place in September. The forward planning needs to be addressed. I am lucky to be in an area that is growing where more housing is being built and planned, and as we know, it takes quite a while to put a school in place. Some of the schools there are old, the buildings are old and the campuses are already very cramped and need to be replaced, especially St. Aloysius' College in Carrigtwohill and St. Mary's High School in Midleton. They could do with new campuses. A couple of years ago, Midleton CBS Secondary School got a brand new campus, and St. Colman's Community College in Midleton has also got a big extension. The area is growing rapidly and the waiting lists are there now. The principals have worked as hard as they can and I have spoken to quite a few of them.

The only entity that can deal with this and take a bird's eye view is the Department of Education. I know some of the officials are seized of this but I ask them to redouble their efforts, engage with the schools, double-check the lists, find out exactly what the real number is with respect to children who do not have a place, and work hard to make those places available. I know my other Oireachtas colleagues are available to assist and support with our local knowledge if that is required or helpful.

On that issue, we have been arguing for quite a while about a new second level school in Carrigtwohill. It has been in the planning process for a long time. We are told the tenders will be issued at the end of the first quarter, which is very soon. The students in that excellent school are in temporary accommodation and they have been there for quite a while. We need that school to advance. It will possibly take two years to build before students can go in the front door.

The Ceann Comhairle will appreciate my concern that, at the end of August and in early September, we will still have students without school places. What do we tell the parents? Where are these children to go? What is the solution? It is serious and urgent. I need officials from the Department to drill down into the waiting lists and figures and come up with answers and solutions on accommodation for these children pretty soon.

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