Parents to march in city over school facilities
Just days after his elevation to cabinet, Cork North West TD Batt O’Keeffe is facing a massive public protest in his own backyard from just two of dozens of primary schools fighting for new buildings.
Parents and children at Star of the Sea national school in Passage West plan to march through the city centre on Friday week in an escalation of their campaign.
It has been confirmed supporters of Glenville national school in north Cork, where students are being taught in a converted toilet, will join the protest.
Their case, first highlighted in the Irish Examiner last month, was discussed in the Dáil the following day.
Star of the Sea, which has been described as a potential death trap by fire officers, was first promised a new school in 1999.
The co-educational 300-pupil school, built in the 1970s, is badly overcrowded.
Glenville NS was also promised a new school more than 10 years ago.
Two years ago, former Education Minister Mary Hanafin wrote to the school stating the project would proceed with “immediate effect”. But nothing has happened.
Glenville Parents’ Association said it plans to support the parents of Star of the Sea in a public rally.
Association chairwoman Kathleen Heffernan said both schools are victims of the broken commitments of this Government.
“The conditions endured by the children and staff of Glenville National School are not dissimilar to those existing in Passage,” she said.
“We have a written commitment from Minister Hanafin of ‘immediate’ action 18 months ago. Nothing has happened since, and we are being told we must wait ’til the budgetary situation improves. Meanwhile our children continue to be taught in unsuitable conditions. This is intolerable.
“As a Corkman, we hope those Cork schools neglected by the previous minister get a fair crack of the whip from Minister O’Keeffe.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
