Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has called on the Taoiseach Simon Harris who lives in Greystones, to immediately establish a task force to ensure that the crisis in school placements in the Greystones area is addressed, and to guarantee that the annual repetition of the crisis is ended once and for all.
The failure of the Taoiseach and his government colleagues to act to address the delays in providing secondary school placements for students in the Greystones area with only weeks to go before the schools close for the summer has left 18 students and their families in limbo.
Students and families in the Greystones area wishing to enrol in one the four secondary schools in the Greystones area, Saint David’s Holy Faith Secondary School, Temple Carrig Secondary School, Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, Kilcoole, and Greystones Community College, have been left to negotiate an annual bureaucratic assault course as a result of the abject failure of the government to put in place a plan to address the upsurge in demand for school places in an area which has already exceeded its population target of 22,000 for 2028.
Brady said:
“It is totally unacceptable that 18 young pupils and their families find themselves in the situation that just weeks out from when the four secondary schools in the Greystones area will close for the summer holidays, they still remain unaware if they will secure a school placement for September.
This is placing undue pressure and stress on students and families alike. This uncertainty is causing stress and anxiety for children who have sat entrance exams, selected subjects, and who want to begin preparations over the summer for entry into the secondary school system.
Instead, they are being left in limbo. Officials have met with parents in the area in recent weeks and yet still cannot provide confirmation that their children will have a school place in September.
They have been effectively left hanging by the Taoiseach and his colleagues. With no confirmation of school places, they have no information on what schoolbooks they need, what the uniform policy is.
The government has been aware of the pressures in the area for over three years. Yet nothing has been done.
I am calling on Taoiseach Simon Harris, who has to power to act, to do so immediately and put in place a task force to resolve this issue and to not only ensure that these 18 students have their placements for the new school year in September confirmed as soon as possible, but to guarantee for once and for all that this annual debacle is no longer allowed to continue.”
Local Sinn Féin candidates in the Greystones area Esther Kelly and Brian Fogarty said:
“Lack of planning, lack of ambition, and lack of commitment on behalf of the Taoiseach Simon Harris and his government colleagues has left the secondary school system in Greystones in chaos.
Greystones has by far exceeded its population targets of 22, 000, which were set for 2028. And now we have a situation where Minister Darragh O’Brien is attempting to railroad in legislation at the behest of local developers which would remove the power of Wicklow County Council to object to additional developments despite the failure of the government to ensure that supports and services are in place for a population the size of Greystones.
Yes, we need more houses in Wicklow and across the state, but they need to be as part of a liveable planned community that is provided with the services and amenities it needs.
The crux of the issue is here that with all the new houses, the additional developments, and increased population, the government still haven’t addressed the issues of services, which have delayed the development of the new school for Greystones Community College, and the extensions for Coláiste Chraobh Abhann and Temple Carrig.
The fact that the Taoiseach can allow this to happen in his own backyard is unforgivable. There are children in this community who don’t know if they have a school place in September. Which will be repeated again next year if something is not done.
We want to reiterate the call of our colleague John Brady TD, and demand that the Taoiseach Simon Harris put in place a task force to immediately address the crisis in the school’s system in Greystones.”