Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to bring to the Minister's attention, and that of the Minister for Education, news that parents received last week in Trim, County Meath. They received letters stating that their children would not have a place at the local Boyne Community School next year. There were 362 applicants for just 192 places at the school, leaving 170 children without a placement. The population of Trim is growing every year and it is now over 12,000. Last year there was a farcical situation last year when twins applied for the school and only one was accepted. Parents are calling me to say they do not drive and cannot afford to send their children out of the local area. Now they are frantically calling other schools outside Trim for placements for their children, only to be told they are already at full capacity and they must be put on a waiting list. We have an education emergency in Trim. It will get worse unless the Minister for Education and her Department step up to help with an immediate resolution to the current situation. Nearly 200 children have no school to attend next year at the moment. We still have time. I ask the Minister to ask the Minister for Education to intervene in this matter.

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