Nolan seeks update on Birr Gaelscoil's move to new site
Independent TD for Laois Offaly, Carol Nolan, has called on the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to provide clarity on the timeline for delivering a permanent new school for Gaelscoil na Laochra in Birr.
The school has been operating from a property owned by Offaly County Council but is due to vacate its current accommodation next year.
As a result, Deputy Nolan said that, along the school community, and principal Niamh Uí Chléirigh, she had been continuously engaging with the Department of Education to have the transfer to a new permanent site escalated.
Minister Foley previously assured the Gaelscoil that a greenfield site had been acquired near Lidl in Birr.
However, Deputy Nolan said, the planning for the new school site had to be lodged recently or the school would not be in a position to open for September 2023 when it is due to vacate its current accommodation.
The Minister confirmed to Deputy Nolan this week that while her Department has been liaising with the school patron (An Foras Pátrúnachta) relating to the proposed building project for the school, and a permanent site had been identified, and agreement in principle reached with the landowner, no timeline for when the new school building would become operational could be provided.
The Minister would only state that it was the Department's intention to provide accommodation for the school on the new site as soon as possible.
"The school community of Gaelscoil na Laochra need and absolutely deserve far greater levels of clarity on this issue than has been provided to date," commented Deputy Nolan.
"Without this clarity, the children, their families, the teaching staff and Principal Uí Chléirigh will be forced to operating in an ongoing and totally unacceptable information vacuum regarding the timeline for the new accommodation.
"I accept that conveyancing is at an advanced stage; but really at this point far greater levels of definite information are needed.
"Time is running out on the current accommodation lease and commitments to provide new accommodation ‘as soon as possible’ just will not cut it any longer," the local TD concluded.