Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply and for outlining the facts. The board of management has been in discussion with the local community to get a room for the extra classroom. The Department will provide money for a prefab, but the school does not want this because it is a short-term solution and it believes it would be a waste of vital resources. The Minister of State outlined extra school places would be provided in developing areas. This school is classified as a developing school. It is probably one of the few developing schools outside of the greater urban centres. An immediate problem has arisen and an application was received by the Department on 5 October. I am asking for every urgency to be given to this so the board of management is not left in limbo until all of the issues have been gone through. Surely they can be correlated and examined as a matter of urgency. A holistic approach must be taken, not only on the short-term issue but also on the school's status as a developing school because of the projected growth in numbers in the coming years. Will the Minister of State ensure there is no delay in the Department, that the application is processed as quickly as possible and that the school does not just get an answer to the short-term issue but also obtains a solution for the long-term issue coming down the tracks?

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