Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

That is not the answer to my question. I asked how many e-mails and letters the Department had received to date regarding the case of a new community post-primary school in Ballinamore, and if the Minister would make a statement on the matter. We all know what is happening to this school. Ballinamore has a problem in that there are three school buildings with students commuting along the streets as classes interchange. A new school has been sought for 20 years. A departmental inspector's report in 2000 cited the loss of school time due to travel between classes, major safety concerns, and the quality of education in such a difficult layout spread around the town of Ballinamore. The Office of Public Works and the Department have spent seven years looking for sites and eventually settled on a site they examined many years ago. There is not much urgency about the matter. Now the site has been acquired, contracts were signed on 7 June and the vendors have been paid. The situation is very serious.

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