John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. It is very much appreciated. I would like to make two points about it. It may be too late for this debate but we need to treat the Haynestown and Blackrock area separately from the Dundalk planning area, which is utilised by the Department. Dundalk is a town of approximately 40,0000 people. The Blackrock-Haynestown area, which started off as small villages on the outskirts of Dundalk, needs to be treated as two distinct areas. The needs in that area are completely different from the education needs in north Dundalk. The Department has a difficulty encompassing Blackrock-Haynestown in the wider Dundalk area and they should be treated separately.

I welcome the points the Minister of State has made about St. Francis National School in Blackrock. However, the area I am talking about is a distinct area. It is the Haynestown-Haggardstown area. That is where the majority of housing is going to be built over the next couple years. That is where we need to look to when providing a new primary school and that is what the Louth and Meath ETB is trying to do. It is welcomed in Blackrock but it is a totally separate issue. We need to cater for the children in the Haynestown-Blackrock area and that is why I raise this matter today.