14 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Education if he has made a decision not to build a second level school in the Castleknock area where a site is awaiting a school for nearly ten years; if so, whether such a decision was made on the basis of the Bannon report; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Bannon report has been disputed and rejected in the area; if he will agree to meet the Castleknock School Action Group to discuss the Bannon report; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

My Department is satisfied that the needs of the Castleknock pupils can continue to be met by the post-primary schools which currently cater for the majority of them. The question of the provision of a separate post-primary school for the area does not therefore arise.

The role of the consultants was to assist my Department in a study to determine the need and provisions for post-primary school places in Castleknock and also in the Hartstown and Dunboyne areas. In arriving at its decision on the matter my Department had regard to the findings of the consultants, as well as the submissions made by the Action Group and data on housing developments secured from the local authorities.