Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand that the Minister of State is not the line Minister and I do not want to wag the finger of blame at him. However, I wish to express my deep dissatisfaction at what has happened in Kinsale, in particular in Summercove, because whatever about demographics the school was identified as early as 1999 as being deserving of a new school which had been fought for at the time. I referred to the fact that certain delays arose in the meantime due to planning and other issues. I do not put all the blame at the doorstep of the Minister. It is not good enough for the 212 children who are being schooled in third-world accommodation and the teachers who have to deal with the situation on a daily basis. Usually I would get some satisfaction from a response but that is not the case today. I do not attribute any blame to the Minister of State but the response is not good enough and it will not be tolerated by the teachers, pupils, parents and those in the community who have looked forward to a new school for the bones of 20 years. It is a huge knock-back for them. There does not appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, has overlooked the serious, specific and special needs of Summercove for the past 15 to 20 years.