The principal of a multi-denominational primary school in Dublin city has said he is "over the moon" at news the school can offer school places to 56 children for next September, as opposed to just half that.

Until yesterday evening Canal Way Educate Together School was unsure whether it would be allowed to fill two classrooms of Junior Infants next September or just one.

The school has already offered places to 28 children.

Earlier this week, principal Dermot Stanley told RTÉ News he had been "to-ing and fro-ing" with the Department of Education since last December, but could not get "a straight answer".

However, following a query to the department from RTÉ News, Mr Stanley says he received a phone call and was given the go-ahead for two streams of Junior Infants.

The school is in an unusual position.

It is one of just two schools to open in former Catholic school buildings as part of the divestment process.

However, the Christian Brothers building it is housed in has been leased to the State by a Christian Brother's trust, called the Edmund Rice School's Trust, for just ten years.

The school does not have the use of the entire building, and ERST continues to have a say in the building's operation.

Canal Way School, which is in Dublin's south inner city, opened in 2013 to meet huge demand for multi-denominational school places in the area. 

For the past two years it has filled two Junior Infants classes every September.

However, it was unsure if it could continue to do so given its space limitations.

Come September it will already have filled eight of the ten classrooms available to it.

Very shortly it will need an additional six classrooms.

A Department of Education official told Mr Stanley the delay was caused by assurances requested by ERST that any provision of new classrooms would not affect their lease arrangement.

The school is closed for the Easter holidays but this morning Mr Stanley said they were sending out belated offers to parents.

Mr Stanley said it was late to be sending out offers, but the school was delighted that it could do so.

He added there was huge demand for places, saying the additional 28 children would be chosen from a waiting list with around 200 names on it.