No local schools listed in new building plans
by Danielle Harney Updated: Wednesday, 26th January, 2011 5:10pm
Number of major local development projects remain in limbo
Not a single school in south Westmeath or south Roscommon have been included in the government’s school building work programme for 2011.
The Department of Education announced a programme of works worth just under €400m for around 400 schools nationwide, however only three schools in Mullingar are to benefit from any investment within Westmeath. The funding has dropped by over €179m from last year.
The programme includes new projects and those currently approved, outlining their planned progression and targets for 2011, said Education Minister Mary Coughlan. A number of post-primary schools are also being established in the east of the country.
“It was necessary to prioritise those projects which meet the most urgent needs. I recognise that this means that there will be some schools unhappy that their project will not be progressing to tender and construction in 2011,” said Minister Coughlan.
There were no updates on work expected on local schools because they are either in other bundles or still at the same stage as this time last year.
In last year’s school building works announcement, Cloonakilla NS in Bealnamulla was sanctioned major extension and refurbishment works. The Department marked down Cloonakilla to appoint a design team in quarter four of 2010. Principal Mary O’Rourke confirmed yesterday (Thursday) that the school is still at this stage of appointing a design team.
Athlone Community College is also part of a separate bundle of projects offered to the market under the Public Private Partnership Process (PPP).
Principal Eileen Donohoe confirmed yesterday (Thursday) that the project is still going “full steam ahead” and that a successful tender will be appointed later this year as planned. The Department expect to have the school completed by June or July 2013.
There was no further update on the new extension for Coosan NS which is now in a different bundle. In April 2010, the primary school was among a separate bundle of eleven projects for which design teams were due to be appointed before the end of the year.
The school is to get an extension and refurbishment, rather than the 16-classroom school that was initially sought. It will also include a special needs unit.
However, confusion remains over the future of a new 16-classroom school for Cornamaddy NS.
Plans for a new school under the Public Private Partnership scheme with the developer group McInerney Homes are in limbo since the company went into examinership last September.
Principal Aidan Barry said there is “huge doubts” over the development at the moment.
On January 10 of this year, the High Court refused to approve a rescue plan for McInerney Homes, and now it looks likely that the company will be appointed a receiver on behalf of the three banks it owes millions to.
The banks are consulting with NAMA before they take any action.
Previously, Cornamaddy NS has been refused planning permission for an extension and redevelopment at the site of the existing school, before the newer relocation proposal emerged.
