Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. As she will know from having visited Cavan and being familiar with the area, unfortunately Belturbet has suffered terribly over decades.

There were bombs there and people were killed. The town suffered immeasurably. Thankfully, we are now in a new era in areas like Cavan and Monaghan. I welcome that the population of Belturbet showed a substantial increase in the recent census. The county development plan of Cavan County Council plans for a substantial increase in the population of the town. The detailed proposal submitted by the Minister's Department itemises the projected enrolment in primary schools in the town in the future.

From dealing with the childcare facility in the town, I know that it does not have space to cater for the demand for childcare places. It is a welcome development in one way as it shows the growth in population and the demand for pre-school, primary and post-primary places in what is generally a rural area. We need the proposal to amalgamate the two schools approved, and also the proposal to provide a new school on a site that is already available, identified and owned by the parish. The proposal has the absolute, strong and unwavering support of the principals,staff, boards of management and the parents' associations of both schools and the wider community. The school-going population of Belturbet needs to have a commitment that they will have modern and up-to-date facilities catering for the needs of all children.

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