Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With local councillor Seanie Power, I have met the concerned parents. This issue is causing a lot of worry and stress. There are students living next door to the school who cannot access it. We have engaged with the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board and the board of management of the school to try to find a solution, but the only solution is the provision of additional accommodation.

To be honest, I am disappointed with the response as it refers to the school planning areas. With due respect to the Minister of State, it is the typical response from officials in the Department of Education and Skills. I come from Portlaw, the school in which has traditionally been a feeder school for the school in Kilmacthomas. In fact, if the officials were to look back at the records, they would see that a technical school was closed in Portlaw and a commitment given that all students from the area would be educated in the new vocational school in Kilmacthomas, which is now St. Declan's community college. It is not good enough that the same officials now say Portlaw and surrounding areas are not included in the school planning area. There is a history to this matter on which I expect the officials to look back. I also expect them to support the school that was set up in the 1960s and give us the additional accommodation the students need and deserve. I will continue to pursue this issue until a satisfactory solution is found. The students, parents and the school needs it.