Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has not received unrestricted recognition in view of the fact that the catchment area of the school has seen an increase in the number of primary gaelscoileanna in the past number of years and that there is a need for such a school in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7426/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers applied to my Department for permanent recognition in October 2008 which was the 2008/09 school year. When it applied for temporary recognition initially, the school supported its application with a projected enrolment of 232 pupils for the 2008/09 school year. The actual enrolment was 105 pupils. Its enrolment in the current school year is understood to be 140. This compares with a projected enrolment from the school of 271 pupils. The growth of the school is, therefore, considerably slower than expected given that it has a number of feeder schools from which it can attract pupils. However, the Department recognises that the potential is there for a long term viable entity and it extended the school's temporary recognition for a further three years to allow it the opportunity to develop its enrolments further on this basis.