I raise the issue of school buildings and the impact on school placings, particularly regarding Pelletstown Educate Together National School and the Edmund Rice College on Mill Road. Both of those are in the process of getting new school buildings, but are worried about delays, those which have already happened and any that might happen in the future. The impact of these delays on the numbers of pupils these schools can accept for 2021 will be significant. I spoke to the vice principal of Pelletstown Educate Together National School recently and one concern is that the school will not be able to accept junior infants because there is no space for the two Portakabins required. We know a builder will be approved soon, but meanwhile there needs to be a guarantee for both those schools that there will be new buildings on site for 2021.

I met with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, last night on this issue of school places in the Dublin 15 area, with particular emphasis on Edmund Rice College and Pelletstown Educate Together National School.

Those projects need to go ahead. Work needs to start on the new schools on the new permanent sites. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has agreed to come back to me on the matter as soon as she can. We are all on the same side. We all want to get those schools under construction and we all acknowledge it is overdue. If the schools are to be asked to take students in next year, they will need a guarantee that the new buildings will be available. We are working to make sure we can do that.