Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to underline my clear appreciation and understanding of the school community and the position in which they find themselves. I am familiar with this case and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and others, have engaged with me on an ongoing basis on this school. On the planning process, we engaged in the pre-planning aspect of it and no one knows better than someone involved in a planning application that any issue can arise once a planning application has been submitted. We are re-engaging in the process in good faith and we are determined to ensure the facility will be made available as quickly as we possibly can. I say with sincerity to the Deputy that it would be unwise of me to predict a planning application process. I wish I could because that would be of enormous benefit to everybody concerned.

I am giving the Deputy an absolute commitment that we will move this as quickly as we possibly can. We immediately engaged with the post-refusal meeting and we are engaging in the pre-planning process. We will move this apace as quickly as we can, in deference to the great need in the community and for the school community. On the specific issues the Deputy has raised, we will engage on an ongoing basis on the shorter-term needs it might have and we will make suitable and appropriate provision for it. I am under no illusion as to the necessity and urgency of this appropriate provision and I give an absolute commitment, as I have done on an ongoing basis, that we will expedite this as quickly as we possibly can. That involves the appropriate engagement with the planning authority, which we will do. It is my expectation that we will meet all the criteria that are required.

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