Parents are crying over the phone while discussing school access — Kildare councillor

Parents have become so stressed worrying about securing school places for their children that they have broken down crying over the phone.

The claim was made by Independent councillor Pádraig McEvoy at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District (MD) meeting on Friday, June 2 last.

Cllr McEvoy asked Kildare County Council (KCC) the following question at the meeting: "Can the council confirm if the Local Community and Development Committee (LCDC) receive reports from the Department of Education (DOE), Tusla, the Kildare West Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWWETB) or other sources about shortfalls in school capacities in the MD and the requirements for pupils to travel further to other towns to enrol in second-level education?"

He told KCC that he had been talking to parents who had been sobbing over the phone, because they were so frustrated and upset about the issue.

In response, KCC said: "The Planning Department are not in receipt of reports from the DOE regarding shortfalls in school capacities in the Clane-Maynooth MD.

"There is no requirement for the DOE, Tusla or KWWETB to report to LCDC on the capacity of schools to meet demand in the county.

Independent councillor Pádraig McEvoy. File pic.

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"However, we are aware that given the substantial growth and young population, that challenges exist in accessing schools particularly in high growth towns."

Explaining the situation further to the Leader following the meeting, Cllr McEvoy said: "Some pupils' parents get in contact to say they have yet to be allocated a school place.

"While they await a decision, probably for September, I will contact Tusla to see if there are home tuition supports. While the DOE has an overview, the parents are taking a gamble."

Cllr McEvoy added: "Those who are unsuccessful have to travel to other towns, which is a big upheaval and can add to otherwise unnecessary car journeys, congestion, etc; people relocating to the Dublin suburbs sometimes don't realise the limited availability of school places."