Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. It is great to have him in the Chamber to discuss Clonakilty and the need for secondary school places to be provided for the academic year of 2023-2024. Clonakility is a thriving town with a thriving hinterland which feeds into the educational hub that is Clonakilty. We have two dynamic secondary schools. Both the college and the convent provide top class subject choice across a wide range of topics. There has been a major redevelopment of the college campus under the stewardship of Paddy Duggan, the former principal. Now Tommy Brown is there and is doing a fantastic job in driving the complex forward. There is a significant proposal which would see a multimillion redevelopment of the convent site.

That is in the future but there is considerable concern in the town about academic places for 2023-2024. On 15 December, the students who have applied to the college will be informed whether they are successful or not. A waiting list will be put forward then. We are not sure how long that list is or what is the capability for the list to fit the capacity of the students looking to go to the college. There is a unique dynamic in the town regarding the need to make sure boys can get education. Traditionally, the boys went to the college and the girls to the convent. We are unsure how that dynamic will play out. Maybe the Minister of State will elaborate on that.

We had a similar situation in Bandon several years ago and it took some time for us to sort the issue. It took a long-term change in ethos in the school and massive development in two of the four complexes in Bandon. Clarity on school places from here to 2023 is needed in the next few weeks. There is concern in Clonakilty about whether the offering will be there for the students. I ask for clarity on the length of the waiting list and on the plans the Department will put in place to make sure every student who applies to go to a school in Clonakilty will have a place made available to them.

This adds to the bizarre scenario of the school transport scheme, which will open in a few weeks. Kids do not know what school they will go to, never mind how to apply for that scheme. We have seen the debacle whereby children in west Cork have failed to get a school bus yet, and we are running into Christmas.

Time is the most important thing in this debate. We need clarity on numbers and on the long-term approach for parents and students to be able to move forward and get their school place for the next academic year.