Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to raise this evening the need for the Minister for Education and Science to outline his response to a request from Educate Together to be recognised as a patron of second level schools. I welcome the Minister of State to the House.

Educate Together schools have emerged throughout the country. The first such primary school opened its doors in Dalkey 30 years ago and there has been a long campaign by parents. When they began this educational project 30 years ago they envisaged that in time this ethos and access to education of a multi-denominational nature would be extended to second level. They believe parents should have choice in education. There are insufficient second level school places in the Lucan area. We have five Educate Together primary schools within a two-mile radius, but no Educate Together secondary school. The parents very much want to have that option for their children. They want to provide the pupils of the five Educate Together primary schools in Lucan with a secondary school in the area. They want to provide a centre of excellence in both learning and teaching. They want the ethos of their primary schools to be continued into secondary schools. They feel very strongly about this.

There is great demand for Educate Together schools in Lucan for the modern equality-based model of education. By 2010 more than 150 children will leave Educate Together primary schools to seek second level places. This number may rise to 300 by 2014. The campaign for a secondary school dates back approximately seven years. There was tremendous demand and approximately 1,500 children were placed on a waiting list for a proposed secondary school. However, it then became clear that there would not be a secondary school and the campaign stopped at that point. However, it has begun again with a group called the Lucan task force, which has the full support of the Educate Together national office.

I ask the Minister of State to outline the Department's approach. I know the Minister for Education and Science recently met some representatives of this group. They made their case for patronage at second level. I seek a response regarding my local area in Lucan and nationally. People would like to hear the Minister's views on the future of patronage of secondary schools. I hope the Minister of State will bring some clarity to the Minister's approach to this topic.