Video: Protests to continue until new school built

Protesters have warned they will take to the streets for as long as it takes to get a new school built.

Up to 1,000 people — children, teachers, parents and their supporters from Gaelscoil de hÍde — marched through the streets of Fermoy, Co Cork, yesterday to highlight their growing frustration at the snail’s pace at which plans for a new school are progressing.

They want a promise, made by the Department of Education in 2011 to provide a replacement school for their current facility, which is archaic and cramped, to be honoured.

With 410 pupils crammed into a school built to cater for roughly half that amount, the children and their parents have “had enough”. They want the site selection and construction of the new facility to be fast-tracked.

In 2011, the department gave a commitment to the board of management that the new school would be open by September 2014 — but at this point, a definite site hasn’t even been secured.

“The sad fact is that there are animals down in Fota Island Wildlife Park who have more space to run around in than the children attending our school and that’s totally unacceptable,” said teacher at the school, former All-Ireland winner and now Sunday Game analyst, Tomás O Sé.

Addressing the crowd, he added: “We need to tell the politicians they must do what they can. They’ll come knocking on our doors for our support, but now we’re knocking on theirs, and we’re looking for answers and action. We need to keep the pressure up and we won’t been fobbed off” he added.

Niamh Quirke, speaking on behalf of the Gaelscoil de hÍde New School Action Group, said: “We want the message to go out to the politicians, to Enda Kenny and to Jan O’Sullivan, that we’re only just warming up — they ain’t seen nothing yet.”

She added: “We understand the ball is rolling in the process, but it’s rolling too slowly and we won’t stop until we’re turning the key in the door of the new school.”

A number of politicians also took part in the march, including Sinn Féin MEP, Liadh Ní Riada, Sinn Féin TD, Sandra McClellan, and her party’s education spokesman, Jonathan O’Brien. Local Labour councillor, Noel McCarthy and Fianna Fáil’s Kevin O’Keefe also attended.

Many shop staff came out to clap as the children passed by, while motorists honked their horns.

Annette Cotter, whose five-year-old daughter, Ruth, a wheelchair user, attends the school, said the conditions for her were far from ideal.

But Annette says that despite the lift being out of order sometimes, and the cramped conditions, the teachers were “brilliant.”

“Conditions are so cramped that cloakrooms have been converted to classrooms, and there are two classes in the attic. We have to lift Ruth into the school if the only disabled parking space outside is taken up,” Annette said.

The delay in getting the suitable site identified for their new school is because Cork County Council has to acquire land from a voluntary housing agency for it. It’s understood the transfer is being discussed by the two organisations’ solicitors, and when this is completed it must then be transferred to the Department of Education. Local GP Catherine Clifford has two daughters attending the school, and she also says it has “excellent teaching staff.”

She said a new, portable building classroom is soon to be put in the playground yard, which is too small as it is. “Children won’t be able to run around. We’re promoting exercise all the time, so this is wrong,” she said.