Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this important issue. There is an urgent need for a new primary school in the Rochestown area of Cork city. This area has experienced a huge increase in population, with the development of thousands of houses. However, there is no provision for adequate facilities such as a primary school in the area.

The majority of people living in the area comprise young families with children of school-going age. The parents are obliged to drive their children to other schools, adding to traffic congestion and increasing the pupil-teacher ratio in those schools. I am concerned that the quality of education the children receive is not as good as it should be due to the density of numbers in the classes. There is an urgent need for a new school to be built in the area.

The schools planning section of the Department has confirmed that a new primary school is required in Rochestown. The property management section of the Department has identified a suitable site and it has been reserved by Cork County Council for the provision of a new educational facility. However, the fundamental difficulty is the timescale for the provision of the school, which has not yet been determined. I hope the Minister will be able to outline a timetable for the delivery of the school. He might also clarify the position regarding the land that has been set aside for the school in the Foxwood estate area. There are contradictory rumours about the land which should be clarified. It is suggested that the land might be returned to the developer.

What is the timescale for the building of the new school? There is an urgent need for it in Rochestown.