I am very privileged and proud to represent the people of the constituency of Dublin Fingal West. We are a very young constituency, one that is growing and expanding. We are also a constituency and a community that faces many challenges. I get that some of the challenges cannot be foreseen. I do not blame the Government for things that are outside its control. However, there is nothing more certain that on the day when a child is born, in approximately five years' time that child will need a place in a primary school, and that same child on their first day in primary school will need a place in secondary school when they leave. Nothing I am about to tell the Minister of State was unpredictable. In no way, shape or form was the Government blindsided by the population growth in north County Dublin. In fact, it has been more than well flagged. I raised this issue previously. There is a young child in my constituency by the name of Kaylen, who needs to be in an ASD unit. His mam has contacted 12 schools and had 12 refusals. There is another case of a family which is moving to Balbriggan. They have three children, two of whom have places. One of their kids is due to go into sixth class, but he cannot get a place. They have tried every school. They are waiting to hear back from one and we all have our fingers crossed. They are being asked now if perhaps the child would consider going into fifth class. They are being told that the sixth class in the school is over the limit prescribed by the Department. In fact, five kids would have to leave to make a space for this child. It is really frustrating. Every single year I have parents in my office on these issues. I often wonder why my constituency colleagues do not have offices that are open to the public most of the time and then I understand when I see hard cases come in the door because people are at their wits' end. They do not want to be coming to their local TD, they just want their kids to have a place in school. That should be something fairly basic. I am just off the phone to Councillor Malachy Quinn, who is just out of his clinic. A woman who was in with him has applied to 15 schools and still does not have a place. When I was first elected here, nine years ago, the scramble for school places usually did not start until in or around Easter, but now it is starting earlier. The Minister of State is nodding because he knows that is the case. It is the same in his constituency office. It is starting earlier every year. We have some unique features in north County Dublin, which is that if we expand the capacity for schools there, the population to meet that is coming up. It is not the case that we might add an extra prefab and there will not be any need for it in a couple of years' time. We have a steady pipeline. Rush National School has been waiting for a new school building for 18 years. Eighteen years ago the population was a fraction of what it is today. The population in Rush has increased tremendously and yet it is still left waiting. There has been delay after delay for 18 years. I could paper the walls here with the announcements made by my former constituency colleagues from the Government benches about this school. It was announced, re-announced and announced again that the new school building was coming. Perhaps the Minister of State will be able to provide me with some details in regard to it. Will the Minister of State confirm that every single school in my constituency that can accommodate additional places will be facilitated with the resources and the backing of the Department to do just that?

Sentiment score: 0.02

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. He spoke about some of the pressures being created, such as those caused by the duplication of applications. I have sympathy for parents who make duplicate applications, particularly because they feel they have no choice. When they come into my office, we have a conversation and talk about what they are doing. They are being told by the schools to collect their refusals and then lodge a section 29 appeal. That is really stressful. This is for something very basic, namely a school place for their child. They are not looking to go to space. It is just something very simple and very basic that a decent, functioning society, led by a similar government, would be able to provide. What am I to advise parents to do now? Am I just to tell them to collect their refusals and appeal under section 29? Will there be communication from the Department? The schools are writing to the Department and I am the parents' last port of call. They try everything else before they come to me. They have already been through all the steps. Maybe the Minister of State can tell me what I am supposed to say to them. They understand the point about duplicate applications and the demographic pressures and that if there are only 20 seats in a classroom, only 20 kids can go into it. However, they are concerned about what seat their child will sit in and what place will be available for their child. It is incredibly stressful. The Minister of State knows what kids are like. They all talk about the secondary school they will be going to, or, if they are in the naoínra, the primary school. Far too many children are going home to their parents asking them where they will be going to school. The parents do not know, which really causes them a great deal of stress. They do not know whether their children will have to get transport. They cannot make plans. Very often in my constituency, both parents will be working and commuting long hours to get to and from work. They need some certainty.

Sentiment score: -0.00