Councillor Imelda Munster described the response from the Department of Education to requests for a meeting as ?unbelievable.?We need to plan for a population of 20,000 people. We will need at least four primary schools and two secondary schools to cater for the massive residential development planned for our town. Who are these faceless officials who say they don?t meet with e

Councillor Imelda Munster described the response from the Department of Education to requests for a meeting as ?unbelievable.?We need to plan for a population of 20,000 people. We will need at least four primary schools and two secondary schools to cater for the massive residential development planned for our town. Who are these faceless officials who say they don?t meet with elected public representatives they only deal with council officials,? asked Cllr Munster.

The Department of Education announced this week that it is building an eight classroom school in the Aston Village area, which will open in September 2008.

The Department said this school will be extended to 24-classroom school at a future date.

However Cllr Munster is not happy, she says a full school was promised for the Termon Abbey and Aston Village area.Already there are planning applications for over 4,000 houses in the Ballymakenny and Termonfeckin Road areas,? she stressed.

Describing northern environs plan as ?flawed,? Cllr Munster said the reluctance of the department to meet, ?and plan constructively is even more worrying.?They said they don?t meet with public representatives but they have no objection to the council passing on correspondence. Has the department of Education turning in to another HSE,? she asked.I cannot sit back and allow a planning nightmare like we have seen in other parts of the country descend on our town,? Cllr Munster added.