Ba mhaith liom ar dtús buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire as ucht teacht isteach chun an t-ábhar an-tábh-achtach seo a phlé. Is ceist an-conspó-ideach í an cheist a ardóidh me.
The Minister and I were teachers in our previous careers and we understand the depth of feeling that exists in the Blanchardstown area over the threat to the Beech Park pitches which have been used for decades by the local community for sport and other recreations. The depth of feeling among the 70,000 or so people in that area of Dublin 15, and the hinterland, cannot be underesti-mated. I am sure the Minister has been made aware of the huge crowd that even the gymnasium in St. Brigid's GAA Club was unable to accommodate. The Minister's colleagues in Government will have told her how the Government would stand in the area if the Beech Park pitches were to be lost.
It is important to realise that it is not just a GAA issue even though the meeting was held in the clubhouse, 25 juvenile teams and six under 12 camogie teams depend on that land. No doubt seven schools will contact the Minister in their own right seeking compensatory land as many of them have to tell their pupils not to run in the playground because of limited space. This area is a vital lung for them, and for the activities of the 350 primary teachers who I am told depend on it. Scoil Thomáis, Scoil Francis Xavier, St. Patrick's national school, Scoil Oilibhéir, Scoil Bhríde, St. Brigid's national school and Coolmine community school are all very upset at the prospect of losing this precious small area particularly as the substantial green space that used to be available has been reduced to this small area.
Will the Minister meet the action group? Bearing in mind that St. Per-egrine's GAA Club has a very satisfactory arrangement for leasing land from the Department in Blakestown will she consider a similar system for the continuation of leasing at Beech Park? If you take an average of 30 pupils in each of the 350 teachers' classes that makes a total of 10,500 children who have a great deal to lose from the Minister's short term gain. Given the budgetary situation, the money could be made up through better use of public moneys rather than depriving many school children of this valuable land.