Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Is that college still to the fore as a model? Are there still big numbers attending? Am I right that the initiative is not intended for whole schools but there are shared classes such as where students are together in a campus or adjacent in a town? Is it intended that this initiative move forward incrementally, with shared classes rather than a shared or integrated school? It seems, unfortunately, to be a slow process. Is there any willingness on the part of the Department of Education to push the boundaries? Has any Minister shown any interest in driving it forward? I am from Cavan-Monaghan and my constituency borders a number of counties north of the Border. There has been huge concern about smaller schools being closed and a major reduction in funding for education. Is there any interest, politically or administratively within education, to drive this forward?