Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I thank the Chair for giving me an opportunity to raise this matter. Our schools are facing many problems at present. Schools in the Lucan area have been badly affected by the initiatives announced in the recent budget. I am concerned that many children in the Lucan and Clondalkin area are being educated in prefabricated buildings. Some of the schools in question were hoping to get further provision as a result of the budget, but they have not received it to date. Schools are also worried that the cuts in substitution will impact on their staffing levels. The specific school I am speaking about this afternoon, Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada in Lucan, County Dublin, is the fastest growing gaelscoil in the country. It has almost 180 pupils. I would like the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, to outline whether the school will be helped in its efforts to acquire a site from County Dublin vocational education committee for a new school building. I am glad she is here to respond to my queries.

When Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada opened its doors in 2005, it had 26 pupils, a principal and a single teacher. Its pupil numbers have grown rapidly since then, as I have indicated. There is huge demand for places in the school. As a result of the failure to provide a site for the new building, it looks like many of the siblings of the children who are attending the gaelscoil will not be able to join them there. The school has recently been offered an adjoining site, currently owned by the local VEC, on which to develop new permanent buildings. In return for the permanent site, the VEC is apparently asking for some works to be done on other sites. The VEC is willing to provide the site in question for this growing school. I understand the VEC has not heard from the Department about the acquisition of the site. I ask the Minister of State to get the Department of Education and Science to contact the VEC to see whether it is possible to make some arrangement, as a matter of urgency, to ensure the school will be able to take in new pupils, including the siblings of existing pupils, next year. Action needs to be taken to meet the growing demand in the area for this form of education. Many parents in Lucan want to send their children to a gaelscoil.

I would like to ask the Minister of State a few questions. Can she update me on the status of the negotiations on the site I have mentioned? Can she give me some detail on the Department's general view on the request that has been made by the VEC? Can she arrange for the negotiations to be concluded swiftly so that a site can be provided? Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada has proved to be a major asset to the Lucan area. The school authorities want the school to develop further so it can meet the need in the area. As a disappointed parent has said:

We feel that the Department are victimising us and our children because we chose to send them to a Gaelscoil. It is clear that the Department do not support Gaelscoileanna and that they have no interest in nurturing the language of our country. We have been more than patient as we watched other schools being built around us during the last two years while our children were left in prefabs. We are worried that our children are being discriminated against because we chose to send them to a Gaelscoil. What other reason can there be for them being left in prefabs, with no Departmental will to do anything for them?

It is clear that the parents of Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada are very concerned. They are keen for a permanent school building to be put in place soon. The site that has been offered to the school authorities is beside the existing school. It looks like it is possible to conclude the negotiations with the VEC. I ask the Department of Education and Science to make progress with the negotiations, thereby offering hope and encouragement to the parents who are doing a great deal of fund-raising. They want to continue to send their children to the gaelscoil and to be able to send their siblings there as well.