Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, the two tests of the developing schools criteria and the alternative criterion G are the ways by which the Department has sought to provide some flexibility in the scheme. It is a scheme that has to be applied uniformly throughout the country and a school has to meet the criteria. Obviously, the appeals board exercises some judgment as to how schools are operating. It is independent and has looked at this oissue on two occasions using the criteria available to it. I am sure that if it thought the school was overlooking something, this would have given it an avenue to grant approval and it would have informed the school that the application had not been submitted using the correct criteria. Unfortunately, I do not foresee an opportunity for the school to have the decision overturned, based on the numbers submitted.

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