Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. The Department improved the central post-primary online database IT system that was in place last year but did not deal with the issue. It is writing to parents to encourage them to write to multiple schools and requesting parents to take steps to avoid holding multiple places. That is a request, whereas a common applications process would solve that issue. The Department is saying there were successful data-sharing arrangements implemented for last year which will be used again this year.

All of these are reactive, however, not proactive. The Department is reactive whenever parents and students are already in a process where they are waiting months. Reform of the system in a common applications process would deal with this before Christmas. I do not understand why we would be in a place where, to solve a problem, we are actually creating a bigger problem. It is happening too often. The Department needs to stay on top of capacity in each school area in forward planning. The schools it referenced are actually in Dublin Mid-West, not Dublin West. It also has to address the attraction to other schools in areas as a result of investment. We cannot invest in particular schools and then leave other schools without investment, thereby making those particular schools more attractive. That is happening in our area as well. I particularly want to see more investment in Coolmine Community School.

Another instance of solving one problem by creating another is in the Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart area, where they are opening a new secondary school by moving a school that was outside of that catchment, in Hansfield, to that area, but leaving the community without forward planning for their secondary school places in an area of growth. In the round, the Department needs to be proactive and deal with these issues in a way that does not create more problems.