Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a fear that the two-teacher Drumboylan national school in the parish of Ardcarne in north County Roscommon will lose a teacher. Eighteen or 19 pupils will attend it in September 2014. Under the September 2013 review, the requirement is for 20 pupils on the roll. Drumboylan had 17 at the time. In March, the school appealed its staffing schedule in the hope that it would have 20 pupils this September. Currently, there have been 18 enrolments, with strong interest from another family and even further afield, meaning that the school should have 20 enrolments by the end of September. The school has been notified that its appeal was successful, but it needs 20 pupils. It has done a great deal of work in this regard and while it will definitely have 18 or 19 pupils in September, there is considerable anxiety and fear among the teachers, the board of management, parents and the local community that a threat is hanging over it. The parents are finding it very difficult to remain positive as they face into a new school year.

We need to be cognisant of that. The threat hanging over the school is causing huge anxiety in the community and it could undermine interest and confidence in the school unless there is certainty in this respect. Parents have already indicated that they are not interested in sending children to a one-teacher school. From a health and safety point of view, if an incident were to occur in the schoolyard or a teacher were to suddenly become ill, what would happen to the young children in the classrooms?

Unfortunately, in the past two years there has been a dip in enrolment in the school, but it is obvious from the number of births and the number of families and couples moving into the area that there will be 20 to 25 pupils enrolled in the school within a few years. I ask for some leeway and personal intervention to ensure that this case is thoroughly investigated and everything possible is done to facilitate the teachers, parents and students in this close-knit rural area.

As many people will know, Drumboylan national school is the backbone of the local community in the area. It has a great track record. On this occasion we need some certainty. We need some flexibility to ensure that parents, teachers and the community reach their goal, which they are happy to do, and keep the school functioning in the area. I hope the Minister of State will be able to look favourably on this request.

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