O’Keeffe urged to protect funds for schools

THE need to protect funding for schools was pressed on Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe when he opened an extension at a Cork school yesterday.

The pupils, staff and parents of Gaelscoil Thomáis Dáibhís in Mallow expressed their delight with the five-room extension, which was mostly funded by a devolved grant of €300,000 from the Department of Education. They now have two extra classrooms, a resource teaching room, computer room and library for the school’s 238 pupils.

The children of the north Cork school entertained the minister and other guests with poetry, music and prayers at yesterday’s official opening ceremony.