Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to address this matter relating to secondary school places in south Kildare. I appreciate and respect the fact that he does not represent the Department of Education but I certainly hope that he has some positive messages for us. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue today and it is certainly not for the first time. I have raised this issue a number of times in this House and, indeed, during my time in the Dáil. The key issue is that it is imperative that we have a more co-ordinated approach in allocating secondary school places, particularly in Newbridge and Kildare town.

Towns such as Newbridge and Kildare and other smaller villages in south Kildare - and I have no doubt throughout the country - are continuing to grow and prosper. We are seeing people moving into our towns. We see record numbers of homes being constructed and that is all bringing a very welcome boost to accommodation and to our local economies. However, I have been raising a red flag within the Oireachtas for the past seven years. The rate of growth is far outpacing our infrastructural advances. We are seeing the resources of our towns being maxed out. They continue to grow. The infrastructural deficits are becoming more burdensome for residents, be they issues with traffic and congestion, school places, accessing GPs and road infrastructure. We need issues such as these addressed in building sustainable communities that have adequate resources.In this particular instance, I am talking about schools and secondary schools. I am pleased that the Department of Education and the Minister have listened to my calls. They are responding to the perennial school place shortages in Newbridge and Kildare town. I have spoken to the Minister a number of times to communicate the hurt, the fear, the anger and the stress that has been experienced by students and parents on the ground who were not successful in securing a second-level place in their own communities. I have done my best to represent the people of my community on this really important issue.

It is welcome that after years of waiting and fighting for a new site, a site has been procured at the new Curragh post-primary school at Magee Barracks. I also want to thank the principal, Ms Patricia O'Brien, and the whole school community at St. Conleth’s Community College in Newbridge, for agreeing to take in an additional 30 students next September. However, I understand that when local principals met in late February of this year, it was indicated that at least 80 places were needed for students who need to access places in the area. At a meeting that was held online with principals in the area a number of months ago, the Minister committed that the Department of Education would engage in a process to assess the needs for next September and the following September, in the short term. She committed that everything would be done to ensure that every student who will be leaving sixth class and in primary school this year would have a place in September.

I want to acknowledge the work that has been done to date, as well as the positive engagements. However, I want to know now from the Minister of State, what the process is. Can we expect that every child who is seeking a secondary school place in south Kildare will receive an offer? When will they receive that offer? At this point, and even as late as yesterday, parents have contacted me who do not have a place for their child. It is a really important issue. I look forward to the Minister of State’s response.