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

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I noted with interest the line in the reply that states "Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level". I find that absolutely puzzling, because I have outlined that there are major developments in planning. Kellystown has already started and the planning application for Barnhill has already gone in. The vast majority of the Hansfield SDZ has just been completed, so it is now built out. There are 3,000 units in that SDZ, of which I would say a good 2,000 have been built in the past five years. I find it absolutely puzzling, therefore, that although the Department states new developments are part of its planning, these have not been considered. It is a fact that three primary school sites have been identified at Kellystown, Barnhill and the actual site Ériu is on.

We have six primary schools in the area and one post-primary school, Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School. The other two are outside of the catchment area. I find it absolutely puzzling. Parents' other real concern is that there are going to be parents in Hansfield looking at Ériu over the next four years. Their children are in fourth, fifth and sixth class as we speak. These parents are going to say that this school is leaving and going over to the other side of Dublin 15 and ask why they should send their children to it. Even the parents of existing children may say they do not want their children to be relocated when preparing for the leaving certificate in fifth and sixth year. The entire school is in flux. The parents of that cohort of students who are going to be doing their leaving certificate in a couple of years' time, when the school is moving, do not want their children to be shifted in the middle of studying for that exam, which we all recognise as really important. There will also be parents with children in fourth, fifth and sixth class who will now be making decisions as to whether to send their children to our school. Is the Department committed to maintaining every option offered in the school as we speak? Will the school's resources be maintained? We need a meeting between the Department of Education's forward planning unit, the Department officials who made this decision, the parents' association, the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB and the school's board of management. That needs to happen so that all of that information can come into play and this decision can be paused.

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