Early Childhood Care and Education
Dail Éireann — 2025-04-03
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Paul Nicholas Gogarty (IND), Dublin Mid-West

I thank the Minister of State. Scoil Mhuire is well equipped to provide autism support. For example, two staff members recently completed a master's of education in autism. It is a capable school, which does its best for students of all backgrounds.
I am still looking for further clarity, if it pleases the Minister of State, on whether we can say that ten years down the line Wombles Pre-school will still be able to operate from Scoil Mhuire. I am looking for some kind of guarantee in that respect.
If the autism class does not open in Scoil Mhuire this year, can we get clarity for any parents looking for a place that they will be offered a place elsewhere in the Lucan area? Can we get a guarantee on how quickly we can put a modular building on the site? There is some demand in that part of Lucan so I would like some more clarity on that if there were any plans. I heard on the grapevine that the NCSE would look at putting a modular building at Scoil Mhuire, Airlie Heights, but that it might not be for another year. Why can that not happen in September, for example?
Will the Minister of State communicate back to the Minister for Education the absolute urgency of the need to open that 32-classroom school and get things moving at the Tandy's Lane site which is close to Scoil Mhuire in Adamstown, strategic development zone, SDZ. There is a shortage of primary school places in general as well as an ongoing requirement for autism classes throughout the Lucan area.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-04-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:53:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-04-03