Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has opened a new school building in Carrowkennedy National School in Westport, Co Mayo.

The Department of Education and Science provided a grant of €1.4m for two new classrooms, a resource room, PE hall, library and office.

"I'd like to congratulate Carrowkennedy National School on its outstanding achievement in a wide variety of sports," said Minister O'Keeffe.

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"The promotion of sport in a school is important because it fosters a sense of teamwork and fair play. These skills will benefit the children throughout their lives."

Mr O'Keeffe said that, last year, more than €586m was spent in the school building programme across the country, delivering some 12,000 new school places - a record number in any one year.

"Despite the severe economic downturn, we're investing a record €610 million on the school building programme this year, creating many thousands of new school places for our children and teachers," he said.

"We're set to create more than 20,000 new school places in 2009 with our increased allocation."

(PR/JM)