On 13 April, the Minister for Education and Skills announced that 42 new schools would be built around the country, including 17 which would be up and running by next September. We are now six months on from that announcement, and almost nothing has happened. During the summer four patronage processes for secondary schools began, but they have not been completed because we do not have the results of the processes. Parents are currently visiting schools with their children to decide on the schools they might attend next year and they are asking about the schools the Minister promised six months ago. The Joint Committee on Education and Skills was promised that we would have an update on each of the 42 schools and the progress made on them by the end of September. I have not received that update, and I would be grateful if the Minister could update the House as to his announcement and give parents the information they need.

I do not know what happened to the Deputy, but the update was provided to the Joint Committee on Education and Skills last week, as requested and as we indicated we would. There are 42 new schools scheduled to open up to 2022. We are acting to provide a better pre-planning process in order that we can anticipate needs and make plans, and to have a timely programme for construction. As the Deputy mentioned, in the case of post-primary schools a parental selection has been invited and an independent commission considering the view of parents as to the preferred patron for those second-level schools. Before Christmas a similar process for primary schools due to open in September 2019 will begin. The Department is identifying temporary sites in most cases, which is the norm for new schools. The Department is working with local authorities to find the permanent sites these schools will need in the long term.