Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On Saturday afternoon I received a call from the IDA to say it had a major job announcement for yesterday morning. My first question was whether it would include chimney stacks or would it be lean and green. I asked this because there had been a previous development that did not fly owing to concerns about the health and environmental impacts. I was delighted to hear yesterday's announcement. The jobs will be in Derrydonnell, which is approximately 3 miles from Oranmore and 2 miles from Athenry. The 500 acre site between the two towns is currently in the hands of Coillte. I welcome this considerable development which will provide opportunities for our young people into the future and, in the interim, in construction. I urge Apple and Arup, the building consultancy, to answer the public's questions quickly. Last night, I was at the public briefing and there was concern that there was no question and answer session. On the whole, it is very good news.

I invite my colleagues to a briefing I will have tomorrow in the AV room entitled Up for School. Up for School is a global education campaign with the goal of getting 58 million primary school children who are not at school into school. Our goal is to get 2 million signatures, which we will present to world leaders at the UN Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015. This was a millennium goal and it has not yet been achieved because of war, violence and discrimination against girl children.