Ciarán Cannon (Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is reasonably encouraging. I impress upon him the urgency of this matter as the planning permission runs out in the middle of this year. The planning process for serious infrastructure such as a new school is quite convoluted and the community of Glenamaddy would not like to have to start the planning process again.

With regard to the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme, during recent months when making inquiries on behalf a number of schools in east Galway departmental officials told me they were instructed by the Minister to prioritise new school building programmes on the east coast of the country. While I welcome this as communities on the east coast are devoid of any school facilities, it should not and must not be done to the detriment of schools in the west and pupils being educated in sub-standard and unsafe schools.