Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been raising this issue, including through parliamentary questions, for quite some time. It is the matter of Wombles Pre-school at Scoil Mhuire, Airlie Heights. While the Department correctly acknowledges that it has no direct role in the provision of childcare services based in the school, everyone acknowledges that the service is essential. There were 46 early childhood care and education, ECCE, and 54 after-school places but a total of 66 places are at risk of being removed, because a classroom was due to be taken out of the school as the NCSE was looking to get an additional autism class in. I tried to get a win-win situation where some form of modular room could be brought into the grounds of the school, which would mean the autism class would not be taken away while Wombles Pre-school could continue where it is. It is a valuable source of income to Scoil Mhuire in employing therapists. Many of the children who go to Wombles have siblings in the primary school at junior or senior level.

In that context, it was interesting to hear very recently that the autism class might not be proceeded with this year. That would take away the immediate risk to Wombles, but I would like some clarity on a couple of issues, including in the supplementary response. Will a modular build be put in to facilitate an autism class? If so, will it be in place for this September? I know I am putting the Minister of State on the spot. He is aware of south Dublin from our shared time on the council, but there are plans for a 32-classroom school in the Adamstown strategic development zone, which should be built on a vacant site. It has full planning permission. There is no reason for the Department not to push ahead with this, which would also facilitate a number of autism classes and help parents in some of the neighbouring estates who cannot get into Scoil Mhuire because it is already full as regards its catchment area.

There is a mixture of issues here. We need to get some of the schools that were promised built. We also need to make sure that the autism classes in Lucan open as quickly as possible because they are not in every school in Lucan and there is a huge demand. Given the fact that quite a number of preschools in the Lucan area have closed down or left the scheme, and it is very hard to find alternative facilities, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that a long-standing and successful preschool should be able to continue to operate. As I said, it should not be case of either-or.

While I welcome the special school that is being brought into north Lucan, I reiterate that moving Lucan East Educate Together at Easter does not make any sense at all. South Dublin County Council is not prepared for that in respect of its traffic management plans.

I ask for whatever information the Minister of State has about the autism classes. Are there any details of discussions held between the Department and the patron of the school regarding Wombles Pre-school? The most recent response I got to my parliamentary question indicated that such conversations were under way.

See this speech in context