Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed with this reply. While I do not expect the Minister to announce that the Department will sanction a new building for the college next week, the provision of a separate roll number which would entail appointing a principal is not a significant ask for a college that, as the Department states, officially has 429 students. Unofficially, as I understand it, the college is providing a service for hundreds more students within its departmental financial allocation. It is managing to maintain a good service, taking pressure off the Government which would otherwise be under severe pressure to provide these courses.

The immediate issue is that the school be separated and a principal appointed. There is already a teacher acting as principal who is not being paid for it, despite the fact that the principal of St. Peter’s College is in charge. They are at least a mile away from each other and it is not conducive to good learning. While a new building is required in the medium to long term, the Department should examine the short-term solution of putting a principal in charge to allow the college to grow and develop. I know that the college is looking forward to taking part in SOLAS and bidding for the provision of courses, as well as contributing to the resuscitation of the economy in general.