Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has criticised Simon Harris and his Government’s continued refusal to commit to building a new secondary school in Newtownmountkennedy, describing the response from the Minister for Education as woefully inadequate and symptomatic of the broader failure to plan for growing communities.
Deputy Brady said the Minister’s latest reply to his parliamentary question, in which the Department states that current demographic analysis does not justify a new post-primary school, once again ignores the lived reality of families in Newtownmountkennedy, Greystones and the surrounding area.
Teachta Brady said:
“Once again, this Government is choosing to bury its head in the sand and pretend that the annual scramble for school places in Newtownmountkennedy, Greystones and surrounding areas is not happening.
“Parents and pupils across our community are being forced into a yearly battle for places because the Government refuses to recognise the scale of population growth.
“The Department’s own analysis shows that demand in growing areas can significantly outstrip demand, yet Ministers continue to use outdated thresholds to justify inaction.
“Existing schools in the area have already been expanded to their capacity, meaning there is no alternative to delivering a new, modern post-primary facility that this community desperately needs.
“Land has been zoned in Newtownmountkennedy for community and educational use under the town’s Local Area Plan since 2002, with the clear expectation that it would be developed as a secondary school to serve the growing population in the wider area.
“Newtown is currently the fastest-growing village in the area, with its population having expanded significantly in recent years. Yet the Department’s response represents another example of a failure to plan proactively, effectively ignoring the issue until the shortage of school places once again reaches crisis point.
“This reactive approach results in tens of thousands of euro being spent on temporary prefabricated accommodation, rather than committing to proper forward planning and delivering a dedicated, permanent secondary school that meets the long-term needs of the community.
“The Government’s inaction means that children will continue to face crowded classrooms and uncertainty each year.
“Our children deserve certainty and investment now, not another decade of excuses and delay.
“The Government must stop abdicating responsibility and commit to building a secondary school in Newtownmountkennedy without further delay.
“The Government's approach to this is demonstrative of a broader pattern of failing to match infrastructure to population growth, leaving local communities to pay the price.”
ENDS