Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his candid and frank reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills. I appreciate that the Minister of State is only delivering the bad news on behalf of somebody else.

We need to become mature when we look at these types of scenario, because every scenario is unique and different. It is most regrettable that the school became ineligible even for the appeal, given that the school clearly demonstrated that its numbers will increase to more than 20 pupils beyond next year. It is extremely difficult for one teacher, with the best will in the world, to provide a suite of educational services to classes that span baby infants to sixth class, a matter which should have been taken cognisance of. However, it is not too late. I appeal to the Minister of State to convey to the Minister the concerns that I have expressed here today and ask him to identify a mechanism to resolve this impasse.