Vol. 478 No. 7
152 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Education when she will make a decision in relation to whether the Bundoran annex to Ballyshannon vocational education committee will remain as a stand-alone school in Bundoran, County Donegal; if she proposes to amalgamate it to form the new Ballyshannon community school; and when the community school will proceed to the next stage of planning. [12108/97]
As I informed the Deputy in my reply to Dáil Question No. 215 on Tuesday, 15 April 1997, County Donegal Vocational Education Committee advised my Department that it supports the retention of a second-level educational facility in Bundoran and that the rationalisation of schools should be confined to those in Ballyshannon only.
This proposal has implications for the level of accommodation to be provided in the new community school building for Ballyshannon, the planning of which had been based on an earlier agreement that the Bundoran facility would be discontinued under the rationalisation plan.
In the circumstances, my Department undertook a review of the future educational development of the centre. This review is nearing completion and I expect to be in a position to take a decision in the matter shortly. Architectural planning of the project will proceed on the basis of the decision taken.
