Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Leader will forgive me for being parochial - I do not normally adopt this approach in the Chamber - but I wish to raise the issue of a secondary school for Duleek. There are 12 feeder schools in the Duleek area. We have the land, a 23-acre site that was allocated for the provision of a school by the bishop in County Meath. I have brought this matter to the attention of the Minister for Education, but I would appreciate it if the Leader did whatever she could to accelerate the process. This week, a number of parents received letters stating that there was no room for their children in schools in Drogheda and Ashbourne. Something needs to be done urgently. The land is available and ready to go. It has community zoning. There is no reason the Department of Education should not consider a new secondary school for Duleek. I concur with what Senator Currie and a number of others said about Dublin Zoo. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine published its animal welfare strategy document yesterday. It is incumbent upon us, and the Government, to look after national institutions such as Dublin Zoo. The zoo faces a staggering cost every month. We need also to ask factories and people in the food production business that may have a lot of food waste to donate to Dublin Zoo at this time because it definitely needs support.