Vol. 547 No. 1
1173 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of additional accommodation at Mercy secondary school, Mounthawk, Tralee, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1527/02]
A new school building to facilitate the amalgamation of St. Mary's secondary school, Moyderwell, and St. John's secondary school, Balloonagh, into the new Mercy secondary school, Mounthawk, was completed and opened in September 2001 with capacity to cater for 1,000 pupils in the long-term. The school authorities subsequently notified my Department that the school had a start-up enrolment of 1,200 and, as a result, an application for additional accommodation to cater for an additional 200 pupils was made.
The planning section of my Department is reviewing the school's application, having regard to all existing post-primary provision in Tralee, and will issue a response to the school authorities as soon as a decision has been reached.
