It provides seawater for the adjacent Queens University Marine Laboratory. While Exploris does not make money and has substantial running costs, it delivers a footfall of 100 000 people a year to Portaferry, which has a tremendous impact for local businesses in an area already suffering from high unemployment and rural deprivation.

The loss of Exploris will have a devastating effect on Portaferry and the surrounding area.

Belfast already has a second, larger airport with spare capacity - Belfast International - just 20 miles away. But the Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, is already considering a plan by City Airport to build a runway extension - a proposal which is to be the subject of a public inquiry.

Now the Minister's announced he's considering removing the restriction on passenger numbers - known as the 'seats for sale' limit - in the airport's planning agreement with his department. He's said he favours lifting the cap and isn't even going to hold a proper public consultation on the proposal.

If he does remove the limit, it will almost certainly lead to a significant expansion by stealth of the airport, and the consequent noise problem faced by residents. Until now, the passenger restriction has meant that a mixture of smaller and larger aircraft have used the airport.

If this move goes ahead, there will be nothing to stop every plane being one of the larger and noisier types which currently flies from the airport. That would be a nightmare for local residents. Please support the residents and sign our petition.

This shortfall will most likely have a significant financial consequence upon:

i) the families of enrolled pupils;

ii) current primary schools budgets and class sizes which may experience an upturn in pupil enrolment as a direct reaction to financial pressures imposed upon families of enrolled Preparatory school pupils - removing the funding removes choice (accessibility being of fundamental consequence to the DENI position) from some financially constrained families;

iii) The financial viability of many of the Preparatory schools as a consequence of funding removal and the destabilising effect caused by exaggerated financial pressures of the families of enrolled Preparatory school pupils.

The proposed funding removal presents a number of of fundamental issues of immediate threat to Preparatory schools in the province, some of which should be challenged and some of which would benefit from the provision of clarification or pursued such that clarity can be established in the immediate term prior to irrevocable decisions and policy changes being established.

Specifically, enabling the broader community to voice a considered opinion on the topic of DENI funding removal from Preparatory schools and the ramifications that will be brought to bear; the method by which this funding removal would be effected and, indirectly, the continuing viability of Preparatory schools in the region (ensuring parents are afforded a choice separate to primary schools which may not offer the pupil comparable opportunity to achieve excellence in Key Stages 1 & 2 as well as transfers)

It may be argued as being fundamentally important on a number of levels that the accelerated funding review, consultation period and proposed enforcement date be delayed until such time as a balanced, objective assessment, considerate of the ramifications change would bring and how these ramifications may directly contradict the basic agenda & principals the Department of Education, can be undertaken and digested.