Schools Building Projects
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-23
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Neale Richmond (FG), Dublin Rathdown

That is a perfectly valid request. I advise having a deputation meeting and writing a formal letter to the Department of education on foot of this Topical Issue debate. The Deputy has been in this House longer than I have, and he and I know that Topical Issue debates are only a step in the process by which constituency TDs provide good advocacy. I will not insult the Deputy by giving out the departmental lines that this is obviously a process, there is continuing prioritisation and that prioritisation will move forward. Ultimately, the school community in Carrigaline - the current parents, the prospective parents and, most importantly, the children who rely on the Deputy to be their voice - expect better answers. I will have no hesitation in meeting the Deputy afterwards to see how we can facilitate such a deputation meeting as quickly as possible and ensure it gives as clear a timeline as is possible, recognising that any new school project or, more likely, school expansion project will be evaluated.
I take on board the two factors the Deputy raised, namely, growing demand, first and foremost, for what is needed and that this school is split over two sites. Having two campuses and two buildings is never the optimum or ideal. I make that undertaking to the Deputy in good faith.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-23