Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of school places in Dublin West. The Chief Whip will know that this is an issue that happens annually. It was first raised in 1995 when the community council produced a report on school places because of the massive surge in house building over the past 30 years in Dublin West. There is a vast oversubscription for Castleknock Community College. Edmund Rice College, which it is hoped will go into its new school building in the summer, is oversubscribed. Le Chéile Secondary School, Tyrrelstown, is oversubscribed, as are the schools in Ongar. The new Hansfield Educate Together National School is now oversubscribed. St. Patrick's National School, Diswellstown, had 177 applications and has 122 places. I was contacted by a parent yesterday to say she had a child in the school already and now has to look at a different school. What will the Government do for those who have to pass by their local school while bringing their children to school? We are talking about climate change. This is an extremely important issue.

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