Vol. 536 No. 2
461 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will sanction and approve the necessary extension and refurbishment at St. Cuan's College, Castleblakeney, Ballinasloe, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13742/01]
St. Cuan's College, Castleblakeney, applied to my Department for capital grant aid in respect of laboratory facilities and general refurbishment. The two post-primary schools in Mountbellew, which are three miles from Castleblakeney and share the same catchment area, have also applied for capital funding. As a direct result of these applications, and in view of the projected total long-term enrolment of 750 pupils in the three schools, my Department decided to examine the scope for developing a single school to serve the area.
Letters issued to the trustees of the three schools inviting them to consider the issue of rationalisation. The trustees have each replied, indicating that their first preference would be that each school should retain its current status. My Department now proposes to arrange a meeting with the trustees to discuss with them how best to proceed with the future development of post-primary educational provision in the area.
