Green light for €35m Monaghan 'education campus'

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has given the green light to Co Monaghan VEC to build a €35m education campus.

The development will include a 16-classroom primary school (Gaelscoil Untain), a 400 pupil post-primary facility (Gaelcholáiste Oiriall) and the 700-student Monaghan Institute of further Education and Training (MIFET).

The plans also include a state of the art venue to be the new home of the Garage Theatre company, which will receive a government grant of €3.3m.

Construction company John Sisk and Sons will build the campus on the site of a former army barracks in Monaghan town.

“I want to congratulate Co Monaghan Vocational Education Committee on the tremendous work involved in bringing this project to construction," Minister Quinn said.

“This is a shining example of where the local VEC has worked closely with my Department and the Gaelscoil to ensure delivery of a state of the art education campus for the benefit of all in the Monaghan area.”

“The benefits of working with people on a local level are clear in relation to the timeframes achieved with this project.”