Education Minister, John O'Dowd, has approved the establishment of a 26 place part-time nursery unit at Bronte Primary School, Banbridge.

Commenting on his decision, the Minister said: "The establishment of this new facility will be a welcome announcement to the area and will provide nursery provision to children who would otherwise travel outside their immediate locality to access a pre-school place.

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"It is common knowledge that my Department faces significant financial pressures, particularly on its front line schools’ budget. It is therefore important that we maximise the impact of available pre-school resources and avoid unnecessary over-provision or duplication. On this occasion there was a clear gap in provision and a need to create more pre-school places for the benefit of the children in this rural community.

"My Department is committed to providing a place for each child in their immediate pre-school year. Research has shown that there is no discernable benefit to children of a longer daily pre-school session, therefore in this instance I have modified the proposal and given approval for the establishment of a twenty-six place part-time unit."

(CD/GK)