Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I wish to raise the need for an additional school in the Johnstown area in Navan. The surrounding area is a demographic time bomb. Meath has grown by 200% in the past ten years, with much of that growth concentrated around the towns and villages in the county. Navan, the county town, has seen significant growth in recent years, predominantly along its boundaries, where the Johnstown area is in the south-east quadrant.

Many of those who have moved there have young children who are currently at primary school and, while there is no huge issue with the availability of primary school places, although there are issues about class size, there will be a problem at secondary level in a few years. All studies indicate significant numbers of children will require access to post-primary education and this is a cause of anxiety for many parents. They are worried that when the time comes to send their children to second level schooling they will not be able to find places for them, or their children will have to move to other parts of Navan or further away to other villages. In view of the fact we can see that a problem will occur in a few years, I hope the Government and the Minister's Department have examined this issue and have some plans for how to deal with this time bomb.

Can the Minister confirm that the Department is planning a new school in the Johnstown area? If so, has a site been identified? Has the Department met with officials from Meath County Council or Navan Town Council to establish the future population levels in the area? Where does the provision of a school sit regarding the Department's prioritisation list?