School Enrolments
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-30
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Joe Neville (FG), Kildare North

It is not often that I table a Topical Issue and get the win on the same day. This is a matter I have been raising for a number of months.
As already stated, this is a very positive situation. What has happened speaks to the work of Department in this case. The Minister of State stated that a specific issue can be targeted. I was conscious of the potential for the Department to look organically at this from a high level as opposed to looking at parish boundaries, different clubs and roads and what areas gravitate towards their own areas. Children want to go to school with the other kids who live on their roads.
We have a Gaelscoil and an Educate Together in our area. The Green Lane schools all have a Catholic ethos. Each one offers different things. Ultimately, people want their children to have the opportunity to go to school with other children on their roads and, most importantly, with the children in their homes, namely their older brothers or sisters who are already going to particular schools. In this instance, that would not have been possible until the decision made today. That is why I was quite passionate about this issue, why I liaised, as much as I could, with the schools and the parents involved in respect of it and, ultimately, why I raised it in the Dáil. I also spoke at meetings and raised the issue with the Department.
As I said, in this case, the issue has been resolved. There is a wider issue regarding north Kildare and other areas that have difficulties. I am sure parents in Celbridge, Naas and Kilcock have real concerns about waiting lists for primary and secondary schools. Ultimately, we have a group of families who are delighted. As I said, I am sure other families might be in a position where they are still awaiting decisions. As I said, this is a new good news story for the Green Lanes schools and I am glad to be in a position to have that news.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-30