Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that update and I thank the Minister for putting this high on her list of priorities. We recognise that that multidenominational aspect is in the programme for Government, which contains a commitment around having 400 multidenominational schools. We need to make sure they also have the school buildings and that we are not just allocating patronage. I know the Minister understands this and she has made that commitment.

One of the issues is that, given many new schools are multidenominational, it means many of the children in those schools are faced with temporary accommodation, so we need to do what we can to expedite this. Planning is obviously an ongoing issue in many areas across local government, and schools are no different.

As it is on the east of the city and it has such a wide remit, school transport is also an issue. Given the small number it can now take in and the fact there have to be ten pupils from an area, it becomes very difficult and it means no school buses are coming from the east of the city, and none from Oranmore or beyond. That also needs to be addressed if it is to truly cater for the demographics. Ethos is not really fully taken into account either and, again, this means it becomes more and more difficult.