On page 89 of the programme for Government, in a section about education, it says that in three months the Government will commence a review of the teacher appointment thresholds in schools where there are four teachers or fewer. Kiltyclogher school in north Leitrim is a two teacher school. Next September, the numbers have fallen-----

Questions on the programme for Government.

This relates to the programme for Government, page 89.

I have no doubt.

Next September, the pupil enrolments in this school will fall one pupil below the threshold for a two-teacher school. The numbers are expected to recover the following year so that the school will have sufficient numbers to retain a second teacher. Allowing a situation to develop where Kilyclogher school would become a one-teacher school for that year could jeopardise enrolment numbers in future years and endanger the sustainability of the school in the long term. I understand that this review of teacher appointment thresholds in smaller schools has not happened. Will the Minister use his good offices to keep the two teachers in place in Kiltyclogher school next September in keeping with the spirit of the commitment in the programme for Government that no small school will close?

The Government is committed to no small school closing. Ahead of last year's budget, we conducted an initial review of initiatives. Some initiatives were included in last year's budget to try to protect smaller, isolated, and island schools. Each year, in the context of the budget, we take a fresh look at initiatives that we might take in this area but ahead of the budgetary deliberations, I cannot give any indication of initiatives in this area.