Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank Fianna Fáil colleagues and Senators for tabling this very important motion on school places. It is very timely. I have contacted the Minister a number of times about issues in Kildare South. My colleague mentioned that already this evening. This is not a new problem there. The Minister spoke about the new model but I contend it has not worked for us in Kildare South. The motion states the model has not been working lately, and I agree.

One of the biggest concerns about school places and especially secondary school has been in the Kildare town and Newbridge area. I have raised this with the Minister before and we have discussed it on Zoom meetings and in a Commencement matter but it remains an issue. I am still contacted regularly by parents in the area. As my colleague said, these are distressing phone calls, as the Minister has acknowledged. I welcome that acknowledgement. When someone has a child in primary school and all their friends have a school place and they have not even heard where they are going it is very stressful on families. It is an issue which is ongoing for us in Kildare South.

There has been some good news which has to be acknowledged too. The Minister announced the new school in Magee Barracks in Kildare town to incorporate the Curragh post-primary school. Recently, we heard that the site had been purchased for the school. According to a reply from the Department to colleagues, phase 1 will deliver accommodation for 425 students, phase 2 will deliver the remaining accommodation to provide for what was announced, that is the 1,000 pupils. However, the project is still at stage 2 of design and detailed design. I believe further information has been requested on the planning permission which was submitted in October 2023. People are looking to know when that school will commence. The Minister might come back to me with a timeframe on the school in Kildare town because it is cause for concern on those in the Newbridge and Kildare town areas.

The Minister will be very familiar with the issue of St. Farnan's school in Prosperous. I have been contacted on this by a number of parents as well. Again, people are struggling for places and it is stressful for families. I know the Minister has met colleagues from north Kildare.There is a boundary issue in south Kildare, where I live, and a number of people have come to me about it. I note the Minister is dealing with the issue but it is stressful for families. This is about school enrolment, so if there is an update on that, I would appreciate it. As my colleague mentioned, Patrician college in Newbridge is an issue I regularly get contacted about.

Application duplications were mentioned by all contributors tonight. I note the motion mentions there is a model for this in Limerick as well as a pilot scheme in Newbridge. In all the replies I read and in the conversations I have had with the Minister, she has mentioned that duplication is probably the number one topic. I understand from what Senator Currie said that there may be a solution on this. The Minister said it would be difficult. I ask her to revisit this because it is the one issue I hear about when I speak to parents. In their opinion, they have to put down the names of their children and loved ones for a number of different schools in order to obtain a single place. That is an issue for many families in south Kildare. I think the issue could be solved by a national register, which has been mentioned by colleagues tonight. The Department should look into that more and develop more pilot schemes to ensure it happens.

The Minister and colleagues have mentioned - I recently tabled a Commencement matter in this House on it - the much-needed special school in Kildare South. Many parents have been in contact with me and the Minister about its location. I was told that the location would be in Kildare South because that is where the need is. Lo and behold, a couple weeks ago, we heard that the school would commence in September in Naas, which is in north Kildare, albeit on a temporary basis. I am not sure whether the Minister can confirm it tonight but she might get back to me to confirm the full-time position of that school. It has raised concerns for many people in south Kildare who are travelling long distances and crossing borders to obtain a place for their loved ones.

In the short time I have left, I wish to mention SENOs. I have raised this issue with the Minister on the all-party autism committee and it has been mentioned again tonight. I asked the Minister on that occasion whether the SENOs might co-operate on a larger scale with families who are searching for a special school place for their loved ones. She mentioned and I note that there are a number of SENOs to be employed, but I ask again that they co-operate with families. I deal with families day in, day out who are on the phone day in, day out to 12 or 13 schools across three or four county boundaries. I think the SENOs have an important role to play in assisting those families. In fairness to the Minister, she said that was her ambition in this regard, and I hope she can confirm that tonight.

I welcome this discussion. It is an issue in south Kildare. I thank the Minister for her work to date. I raised some issues that perhaps she or her Department could come back to me on.