During discussions on the formation of a Government two years ago and on the programme for Government, many promises were made in the area of education, one being equal pay for teachers, which we have yet to see delivered but this is not the subject I will speak on today. On page 92, the programme for Government states "We are committed to delivering a school capital investment programme for extensions/refurbishments, [to cater for] additional school places". It goes on to note that "Significant funding has been secured as part of the Capital Plan." This is another promise which I can prove is not being delivered on.

Two years later these words in the programme for Government mean nothing to dozens of families of children seeking to go to St. Brogan's College, Bandon. Over the past four months these parents have been living a nightmare as their children were put on a waiting list for entering the school in September 2018. St. Brogan's is a victim of its own success, in that the school's positive attitude and excellent staff have made it attractive to many families. More important, subjects are suited to certain students and in an era where parents and children sit down together and choose the best school for their child with the subjects that are on offer, St. Brogan's makes that choice somewhat easier for them.

All this has meant that the school must cater for more students than it has room for. The Department of Education and Skills may have sanctioned four additional classrooms but this is all too late for the many who are at the moment being left outside the door. One child, both of whose parents attended St. Brogan's, and who lives only a few dozen feet from the school, across the road, cannot be taken in due to overcrowding. This child is heartbroken as he is the only child in his classroom who did not get a place. I spoke to another mother as late as last night who said that she is not sending her child to any other school as this is best suited for her child. Another father cannot understand why his son cannot get a place in the school he was educated in. These genuine stories are endless. I am dealing with many more families in the Bandon school catchment area with extremely difficult stories who want to send their children to this school but they will not be accepted as there is no more room. The school has written to the families to say that it cannot cater for the children but when I speak to these families they still hold out hope that their children will be accepted because they know, as I do, that this can be resolved simply.

In light of the additional classrooms not being in place on time for September, will the Department of Education and Skills work with the education and training board, ETB, and the school and immediately put in train works that will put temporary classrooms in place in St. Brogan's by September, thus catering for the many children left outside the door?

I thank Deputy Michael Collins for raising this important matter for the people of Bandon and for the St. Brogan's College school community. The outline he has provided shows how important this is for many families who worry whether their child will have a place in the school of their choice, come September. I understand that St. Brogan's is a multidenominational, coeducational second level school with a very good reputation to which many families want to send their children. It is under the patronage of the Cork Education and Training Board.

I am pleased to be able to respond positively to Deputy Michael Collins's request for interim accommodation because, as he correctly says, the Department of Education and Skills approved permanent accommodation for this school in December. This will comprise four mainstream classrooms and two resource teaching rooms. Once the Department approves accommodation it is often devolved to the local patron to deliver it. The delivery of that project is the responsibility of Cork ETB. It has been given the green light and the funding by the Department of Education and Skills and this Government. I am very pleased that is the case.

We do need to consider what can be done in the interim. Pending the construction of the permanent accommodation we need to see whether some interim accommodation can be provided. I understand that the ETB in Cork has now submitted an application for interim temporary accommodation. The Department is responding very positively to this application and has confirmed to the ETB that the classroom accommodation will be approved. I am informed that the ETB will make arrangements to put the interim accommodation in place.

I hope this will come as good news to those worried about accessing a school place but as our population continues to grow and our economy recovers and we can invest more in our public services, this Government is building more schools and providing more school places than ever before in the history of the State. In the national development plan, our new capital plan, our vision for a new, brighter Ireland, Ireland 2040, announced last Friday in Sligo, we have enhanced and added further to that in the scale of our ambition, to make sure schools not just provide places but that they are provided with modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for physical education, PE, information and communication technology, ICT, and laboratories at second level. We have a very ambitious plan for school building projects across the country. As we consider what can be done in the interim in places such as Bandon, we will always respond positively to applications from patron bodies for temporary solutions and that is what we have done in this case. I hope that comes as good news to the people in St. Brogan's College.

I thank the Minister. That is very positive news because this issue has been going on for quite some time. I am always a bit reluctant to raise local issues at Leader's Questions but I have been aware of this imminent crisis in Bandon for many months and held back on going public in the hope that we could resolve it behind the scenes. On 7 March last I first raised this in the Dáil with the then Taoiseach during Questions on Promised Legislation. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, answered saying he would reply 15 days later. I have heard nothing from him despite making many trips to his office. That has left many parents bewildered and on tenterhooks. They are disappointed by a political system that looks at times as if it is hindering progress.

There is a company in west Cork that would supply and put in place classrooms. It does that all over the country. All it needs is approval but sadly this required approval by the Department, which has been dragging its feet. I want the Minister to make this a priority issue to be dealt with by the Department of Education and Skills. This day next week is 1 March. The clock is ticking. If planning is to be sought and temporary classrooms are to be put in place by September 2018, the Government should stand by its programme and the people of Bandon. If it does not the programme for Government will be a failure in their eyes.

I got to know the people of Bandon quite well when I was a Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, OPW, and visited during the flooding. I am very pleased we have been able to deliver a flood relief scheme for the people of Bandon and will now deliver the temporary accommodation for St. Brogan's College.

I thought that was for Deputy Canney to do.

We have already approved the building of the permanent accommodation. As the Deputy has said, it is important that people now get on with the appropriate phases of planning, tendering and procurement in order to deliver this as quickly as possible.

The Deputy made a reference to the Government's commitment to education. Let me be very clear that the Government's commitment in this regard is beyond question. During our time in office, we have prioritised investment in education, which is up by €1 billion on the past two years. Across the State, new schools are being constructed and existing buildings are being extended. We have a very ambitious programme to expand on that activity. In the interim, we are happy to provide temporary accommodation so that children can be facilitated in schools such as St. Brogan's College.