Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)

I am glad to have an opportunity to speak on this motion. Gabhaim buíochas leis na Daonlathaithe Sóisialta as ucht an rún seo a chur faoi bhráid na Dála inniu.

Multidenominational and nondenominational schools reflect our increasingly diverse population. Their purpose is to ensure every child feels they belong when they walk through the gates of their local school. Year on year I hear from parents in north Kildare who want to send their children to multidenominational and nondenominational schools. Others want to have the choice of sending their child to a school that is not dominated by a particular religious ethos.

Naas Community College and North Kildare Educate Together School in Celbridge, among many others, are shining examples of this. Only today, I heard that we have a waiting list of more than 20 children for Maynooth Community College, another multidenominational school in north Kildare. Such schools are increasingly popular and with school places at a premium, we have to build the schools so that they are available to the children who need them.

Ní hamháin sin, ach Gaelscoileanna chomh maith. Tá níos mó tuismitheoirí ag iarraidh a bpáistí a chur go Gaelscoil. Tá sé de cheart ag páistí oideachas a fháil trí Ghaeilge. Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad, which is both a multidenominational school and a Gaelcholáiste, demonstrates how we can support children from all religious backgrounds and increase the number of daily Irish speakers in the country. However, this school needs a permanent building now. If the Minister is checking up on her parliamentary questions, she will see I have raised many parliamentary questions on this matter over the past few years.

Parents of children with additional needs are also crying out for appropriate school places for their children. I look forward to meeting members of the Kildare SEN Action Group tonight, with an Teachta Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, to see how we can help them in securing proper, adequate and resourced spaces for children with additional needs in Kildare. Their struggle highlights the complete failure of the Government to provide educational rights for all the children of the State. The Government needs to get serious about education for all our children.

I will be supporting the Social Democrats' motion. I congratulate Deputy Cummins on her first motion.

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