Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I add my voice of welcome to the students from Our Lady's School in Ballinteer. It is always wonderful to see young people coming in and having the opportunity to see how we operate in these Houses.

I have raised this matter in the House a number of times. It seems to be quite close to the previous topic. We need to have a much more co-ordinated approach to allocating secondary school places. It is very welcome to see towns such as Newbridge, Kildare town and others around south Kildare continuing to grow and prosper. People are moving into homes and a record number of houses are being constructed in those towns. This is obviously a very welcome boost to our local economy. However, I have been raising the red flag within the Oireachtas for the past seven years. The rate of growth is far outpacing our infrastructure advancements. Towns whose resources are already maxed out are continuing to grow. The infrastructural deficits are becoming more burdensome for residents who have issues with traffic congestion, school places, accessing GPs and road infrastructure. We really need to see these issues addressed along with a focus on building sustainable communities which have access to adequate resources in south Kildare.

I am standing here absolutely frustrated having to raise the perennial issue of second-level school places in and around Newbridge. Many children aged 11 and 12 are already completely stressed and worried about where they will go to school next year. Their parents are anxious and are trying to manage their children's expectations. I spoke to a number of parents over the past week who had applied to four schools in the area, one of them being a fee-paying school. They have not got a place in any of the four and are way down the list without any expectation of receiving a place. I acknowledge that following conversations with the Minister, Deputy Foley, there has been some response in terms of the school place application. It always happens at around this time of year. I have had the opportunity to communicate the hurt, the fear and the stress that is being experienced by students and parents on the ground. It is not just this year or last year, but has been going on for several previous years.

A number of capital projects will help with the longer term squeeze, such as the new Curragh post-primary school at Magee Barracks and the ongoing works at Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen. The Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge is awaiting the results of the tender process.

However, parents are highly frustrated at the moment, not just with the fact that their children have no places but also with the haphazard and somewhat chaotic process they must follow. We all know the impact duplicate applications can have on the process and how they result in long waiting lists that cause unnecessary stress because they are not necessarily reflective of the true demand. I have spoken to the Minister about trying to implement a better and more streamlined single application process in Newbridge. Parents want a streamlined CAO-style process for second-level applications, something that is happening at primary school level. I am pleased the Department has assigned a member of staff to oversee this year's process. I understand the schools and their patrons have agreed to share data on a secure basis with the Department to ascertain the level of duplication. I understand this is to become operational this week. I hope this facility will aid the process and reduce the anxiety on the ground.

Will the Minister of State outline the Department of Education 's plans to ensure every child Newbridge and surrounding areas will have a school place next year? When does she envisage parents and students knowing of this allocation for the next academic year starting in September 2024?

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response I appreciate the consideration she has given to it. It is important to note we are not just talking about the main towns of Newbridge and Kildare but also smaller areas in the vicinity such as Athgarvan, Lackagh, Milltown, Suncroft and Nurney, which have no secondary schools and are completely reliant on school places in Newbridge and Kildare town. I appreciate that there are ongoing discussions with school boards of management.However, I honestly do not understand why that is taking so long because ultimately we know the number of children who are in sixth class in each school within the vicinity of the secondary schools. Therefore, we should have access to that data, and planning should be starting 12 months before it currently is. Forward planning is hugely important but it starts too late.

I was speaking to a principal last week who said that around 1 December, when the first round of offers have been given and accepted or refused, there should be a high level of knowledge of where we stand. I ask the Minister of State to tell the Department that it should give a strong message before Christmas on the timeline of when parents will know they will have a guaranteed place for their children for next September, albeit it may not be their first choice but absolutely that they have a place.