Michael Finneran (Longford-Roscommon, Fianna Fail)

I compliment the Minister on the great work she is doing in the education sector and on the programme of development taking place. My constituency has been the beneficiary of her largesse in that area. I visited Lisacul national school two months ago at the request of the principal, Tomás Ó Moráin, and the chairman of the board, Fr. John O'Rourke. I met the staff, pupils and the parents' representative. I saw that this was a school with a serious overcrowding problem and poor conditions. It is greatly in need of a refurbishment programme and an extension.

My greatest concern was that it seemed that nothing had happened since March 2001. The discussion on the development of the school has stood still since that time. Obviously, the board of management, teachers and parents are very concerned by this. I put this motion before the House so we can move the process forward with a view to accommodating the interests of the school and board of management.

Lisacul national school is a three-teacher school with 68 pupils as at September 2004. The school board of management submitted various plans to the Department but the plans were returned because, to some extent, the Department decided on a different course of action to the board of management. That has been the position for some time.

While the Chief Whip, Deputy Kitt, will reply on the motion, I ask the Minister to provide clarity on this matter and to move the process forward with a view to ensuring that this school is definitely included in the 2006 programme. For that to happen, certain other developments must take place before the end of this year, namely, agreed accommodation and planning permission must be in place. I hope, following this debate, that I can report to the locality of Lisacul national school that the Minister's office will move the process forward, which I have no doubt it will.

I will not delay the House as other Members have matters to discuss. However, this issue has been brought to my attention publicly. The community in the locality of the school are very supportive of this development and have requested me, as their Deputy, to highlight their case and to ask for the direct intervention of the Minister to move the process forward.

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