New school building deal is ‘victory for parent power’

THE future school needs of a growing Co Meath community are to be addressed under a deal secured by the Department of Education.

Almost 100 children were left without proper classrooms when they began junior infants at Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa in Laytown last month, after planning delays meant the school could not provide temporary classrooms on their site.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced yesterday evening that her department had concluded a deal to purchase part of a site for a new building for the school.

The complete 24-classroom school will not be ready until September 2008 under the fast-track design-and-build project. But the minister said that junior classes and new pupils could be moved to prefabricated buildings from next September.

The Department of Education is continuing efforts to secure additional lands for the full development of the campus, which will also accommodate a second-level school. The project will also lead to an extension and refurbishment of the local Scoil and Spioraid Naoimh, providing a 24-classroom school.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation praised the department for its prompt response to the situation and said the proposals would meet the educational needs of children in the rapidly expanding area.

Ms Hanafin said a project manager will be appointed to produce a plan for the site and to oversee the planning and construction phases.

She said significant progress has been made since site acquisition was handed over to her officials two weeks ago, with the assistance of Meath County Council, and she hopes to see site matters finalised with the acquisition of the remainder of the site shortly.

Meath east Fianna Fáil election candidate Thomas Byrne described the development as a victory for parent power and paid tribute to the parents of children at both schools.