Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. After I compiled the figures I gave him, I received a telephone call to say there is even further good news in that a family is moving into the village with three children eligible to attend the national school. I did not include them in my figures. That family will not be resident in the village for approximately five weeks. I welcome the decision to which the Minister of State referred. It is really important that when that decision is implemented, which may be this week or next, we get a third teacher for Keadue National School. I will pursue the issue in regard to special needs provision. In many respects, as I said, we are pushing at an open door on this matter with the Department and the Government.

In the Minister of State's capacity as having responsibility for heritage, I invite him to visit the beautiful village of Keadue, which is a national, regional and many times local winner in the Tidy Towns competition. It is a most beautiful village and the school is part of all that goes on there and is important for the whole community. There is a lot of architecture and heritage around the place as well as biodiversity around the school.