Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is probably one of the most disappointing responses I have received. I have raised a number of issues concerning education with Ministers and I generally have reasonable interaction but this is probably the most disappointing response. I have a two-page answer, of which only the following sentence sheds any light on the issue: "Numerous locations in the school planning area were considered in regard to the interim accommodation for the school but could not be secured due to the lack of suitability or availability, or prohibitive zoning issues.” Is the Minister of State saying the residents who have engaged in this process, campaigned and pre-enrolled their children are stuck with Sutton for the coming years? Is that how it is to be? Is this the end of the matter? Can the matter be reopened? I am not overly enthusiastic about the response I got. I want to know whether the Minister of State can impress on the Minister and the Department that they are completely undermining the validity of this entire project by insisting on parents taking a 14 km round trip to Sutton and back. Sutton is outside the catchment area of the school. I do not accept that the Department has gone out of its way to find suitable accommodation but could not do so due to the lack of suitability or availability, or prohibitive zoning issues. It seems it found one answer for Dublin 13 and made the same decision for Killester-Raheny-Clontarf. This is a lazy decision which needs to be revisited. I would expect a much better response from a Department if it were genuinely taking this matter seriously.