The following item comes courtesy of Simon Coveney TD.
This week parents have expressed anger, disappointment and frustration at the lack of progress in relation to the promised new Star of the Sea Primary School in Passage West.
People in Passage have now been waiting for almost a decade for a promised new school. In 1999 a new school was formally sanctioned by then Minister, Micheál Martin. In September 1999 Scoil Colmchille Boys School and St Mary’s National School amalgamated with the promise that the construction of the new school would be imminent. As a temporary measure, prefabricated buildings were constructed on the present school grounds. Despite the fact that these temporary buildings do not conform with Department of Education guidelines, parents, teachers and students put up with the inconvenience on the promise of a new school being delivered.
In 2005 a site adjacent to St Peter’s Community School was purchased and in November 2006 the Star of the Sea had been included in the Department of Education’s building programme It was clearly understood that a design team would be in place by April 2007, yet, we still have not seen an exact timetable for completion.
The Department of Education will soon issue a new list of schools eligible for construction and it is vital that Star of the Sea be on this list. I will do what I can to put pressure on the government to make that happen.
Meanwhile, we are told that a new primary school will be constructed in Rochestown for the school year commencing next September. This is of course good news and welcome for the large population of the Rochestown area that currently has no primary school facility. It will ensure that families living in Rochestown won’t have to drive their children long distances to primary schools in other parts of the city. The campaign to get a primary school built in Rochestown has been ongoing for a number of years, so progress is most welcome.
My understanding is that it is intended to provide an 8 classroom facility for next September and that the school will then be expanded into a 24 classroom school in the years to come.
If anybody wishes to make contact with me in relation to promised new schools in the Cork South Central constituency, please feel free to contact me at simon.coveney@oir.ie
There are numerous other areas that have been promised new schools, such as Ballygarvan, Carrigaline, Shanbally and Minane Bridge, and school extensions.
You can sign up for Simon’s weekly newsletter at www.simoncoveney.ie
March 10, 2008 at 6:34 pm
my name is lilian O Brien,
i am on the parents assocation in star of the sea primary school. my son was in 4th class in the school when they were promised it but he is now 18 ,my other two daughters were also suppose to be in that school but they have also left and are in secondary school, my youngest daughter is now in 2nd class and i hope that she will be in this school we were promised in 1999
March 10, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Lilian,
Thanks for leaving your comment… There will be further announcements regarding new schools being built around the country at Easter. Lets hope that finally we are on that list! In the mean time lets keep the pressure on the government to finally come good after almost a decade.
Dave
March 19, 2008 at 11:55 am
As a Grandparent (in scotland) who has children attending this School I offer my full support to the parents,teachers&LOVELY children,who are involved in these protests my advice is to continue as protests can change;with great succes.
Our local protests changed our local& national goverment elected officials we now have LISTENING officials who ignore us at their peril!