Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the bona fides of the Minister of State and I acknowledge the efforts she has made to facilitate the school community. I welcome the fact that the application will be made in short order. It should have been made weeks ago. The reality is that it is unlikely I will have an opportunity to raise this issue again before the end of this session, but I am not letting this go. I may come back here in September. So help me God, if the school community in Gaelscoil Laighean has been left in the lurch again there will have to be consequences in terms of the inaction of the Department. This should have happened and it is simply not fair to the school community to leave it in the lurch like this, not knowing what is going to happen.

Those living in Mount Merrion do not know whether they will have to drive to Deansgrange in the morning with children before driving to work, wherever that might be. That is not fair on parents and households. Action needs to be taken. I dearly hope that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will deem this to be exempted development so that matters can progress. I hope the interim site in Mount Merrion will be in place in time for September. It should be, and if it is not, we know who is to blame.