Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am okay to proceed.

Scoil Mhuire in Creeslough, County Donegal, has a pupil enrolment of 111 at the moment. That is due to increase in September of this year. A new school facility with new classrooms is required under the capital investment programme. Scoil Mhuire is one of the last remaining national schools in County Donegal that requires such investment. I have visited the school on a number of occasions and I have seen the facilities, which are antiquated, to say the least. They are cramped and are certainly not fit for purpose. There are health and safety issues at the school. There have been meetings of the board of management and the parents to discuss this matter. The only solution is a capital investment project within the confines of the school. The site is fine, but the conditions within the buildings are certainly not fit for purpose in the 21st century. The pupils at the school deserve better facilities.

I understand that the board of management of the school made an application to the Department of Education and Skills. However, the Department referred the matter back to the board of management and indicated that the application was premature. I understand that the board of management has since been in touch with officials in the Department again. I would be very interested to hear the thinking of the Department of Education and Skills on this project at this time and if an application would be considered favourably given the unique circumstances in the school and the fact that its enrolment is due to increase by approximately 10% in September 2018 for the new school year.In view of that increasing enrolment, a capital investment project is required. The answer provided to the board of management by the Department is that the enrolment figure is not increasing. However, that is not the case. The enrolment figures are due to increase by approximately 10% - from 111 to 121 or 122 - in September.