Ballyshannon NS extension opened

The extension to Ballyshannon NS was officially opened by the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin TD, last Friday morning.

The event marked the culmination of a major effort by the school's management and Parents Council to provide accommodation for a growing roll of pupils.

The contract for the extension was 550,000 euros. The Parents Council ran a number of events to raise funds to meet a shortfall in the money required for the extension.

From a roll of just 34 pupils in 2003, the pupil numbers had more than doubled by last February.

Speaking at the opening, the minister acknowledged that Kildare is a growing commuter county and therefore faces difficulties in terms of education.

She promised that every school in Kildare will receive increases to help meet their running costs through the capitation grants, noting that 'a portion' of the 8.4 billion euros allocated to her department in last week's Estimates will see its way to Kildare.

Brian Byrne.