I want to raise school places in my constituency, specifically in Portmarnock. It is two months to the day since I stood in this Chamber and requested an urgent meeting with the Minister for Education and Youth on the severe deficit of school places in Portmarnock. I have had no official response to that meeting request and I have followed up with the Department a number of times. It is not good enough. It is not what the parents and the children deserve. The parliamentary questions I have tabled are getting the same copy and paste answer with duplication of applications being given as a reason and that this problem will work out itself, when we know that they will not. We have done the figures on the ground

I can understand why the Minister may not want to meet, but it is impossible to defend the Government's inability to deliver proper infrastructure where new homes are getting built. It just is not good enough. The Minister's colleague, a former Minister for housing, Deputy O'Brien, knows the area very well and was involved in assisting with the houses there. He is also aware of the school places issue. Will the Minister please contact the Minister for education on our behalf in order that we can provide assistance and assurance to the parents of Portmarnock that this Government is not giving up on them?

I will revert to the Minister in relation to the Deputy's query. Crucially, we have seen through negotiations over the past number of weeks the very significant budget that the Department of education has right now to support families across our country and to ensure that children get the education they need and deserve. I will raise the Deputy's concerns with the Minister and ask her to revert to him directly.