John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this urgent matter as a Topical Issue debate. I understand the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, is abroad on Government business. Accordingly, I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, for responding to the issue.

It relates to Gort Sceiche national school, Annefield, Hollymount, County Mayo, which has applied for additional accommodation because of a big increase in numbers from 26 at present to 44 in September this year, to 53 in September 2015 and it is expected that numbers will grow to 57 in 2017. The junior room pupils will increase from 19 to 26 in September this year and up to 34 in September 2017.

The reason for the sudden increase in numbers is twofold. First, it is an excellent school with the highest standards achieved by staff and pupils both in educational areas and extra-curricular activities. As well as the increasing numbers in recent years it has now emerged that another small school in the locality is closing at the end of June and nine pupils from the school have enrolled in Gort Sceiche national school for September 2014. In addition to the existing increased demographic trend, the situation has been accelerated further because of the closure of the adjoining school which means there is a critical need for additional accommodation.

In its letter outlining the reason for the rejection of the original application, the Department stated, "I wish to advise you that the main focus of the Department is to provide essential classrooms in areas of demographic growth". That is exactly the situation in this case because the school is an excellent one and another factor is the closure of an adjoining school.

The problem comes more into focus when one takes the rapid increase from 19 to 34 in numbers of junior pupils. That would entail 34 students fitting into a 49 sq. m classroom when 80 sq. m is the Department's current accepted standard size for a classroom. I urge the Minister to consider the application again in light of the facts I have outlined.

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