Castlebar school places
Deputy Dillon warned that Davitt College and St. Gerald's College cannot meet growing demand for secondary places in Castlebar. The Minister said he will have the Education Minister respond and noted capital investment is being increased.
I want to highlight a pressing issue impacting numerous students and parents in the Castlebar area who are in pursuit of secondary education. Currently both Davitt College and St. Gerald's College are grappling with the challenges of accommodating increasing demand for student places for the second consecutive year. St. Gerald's has raised its enrolment limit under the condition that it will be provided with additional accommodation by the 2024-2025 academic year. Similarly, Davitt College has also expanded its enrolment limit but is encountering considerable difficulty this year in admitting students on the campus. Regrettably, the Department of Education is not adequately addressing the issue. We cannot have a scenario where children are unable to secure secondary school places in their nearest town, which will force them to commute to other towns such as Westport, Balla or Tourmakeady. I ask the Minister to engage with the Department of Education and the Minister, Deputy Foley, on this issue.