The opening of a new community school in a busy commuter belt area of Co Meath has been deferred because it did not enrol any pupils.
The Department of Education fast-tracked the construction of Dunshaughlin Community National School, run by the Education Training Board, earlier this year based on its demographic projections which indicated there was an urgent need for a new school.
However, the eight-classroom school did not open in September as planned, due to a lack of enrolments.
A teacher who was hired has since been redeployed, while a new school principal is processing enrolments for the coming year.
It was one of 42 new schools announced by the Government which are being built between now and 2022.
