Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Wall for raising what is a pressing matter for his area and people in Kilcullen. As he said, it has a population of 4,000, but 110 families are affected and 153 children are without a place. Kilcullen has a growing population. When a population is growing, we want to keep that population because of the impact on enterprise, including small and medium businesses, around the area and on schools, given that populations feed primary schools. Schools depend on bums on seats to have the teachers and resources, so it all has a knock-on effect.

I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue about his area of Kilcullen in County Kildare. I will follow up with the Minister, Deputy Foley, about it. The two-stream solution has to be looked at. For example, what options are there for providing a community childcare facility? Maybe it should be attached to the local primary school. I do not know, but those solutions must be teased out and the correct place to do so is with the Minister, Deputy Foley. I will ask her to facilitate a follow-up meeting with the Deputy to discuss the particular issues pertaining to Kilcullen.

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