'People who move here don't expect it to be a problem' Portlaoise principal

A Portlaoise school principal has confirmed that his school is full, but the Department of Education has informed him that they believe demand will fall, not grow. 

Holy Family Junior School principal Enda Hickey spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. 

“We have a waiting list for all classes. We don’t know how many are really on the list because Portlaoise doesn’t operate a central enrollment system. We will really only know in September. 

“I was speaking to the Department and their projection is for a fall-off in Portlaoise. They can see that from child benefit numbers. We pointed out to them that that doesn’t take into account families moving to Portlaoise. 

“Last year they seemed to open a few extra classes in Portlaoise. Last September our list did seem to dissipate,” Mr Hickey said. 

He said that parents contacting the school  to place their child is “a very regular occurrence”.

“People who move here don’t expect there to be a problem in getting a place. It is very difficult for parents who see the schools and made plans, to understand. 

“There is no possibility of more space at our school. The campus is at its maximum, parking wise. There isn’t any more space. We accommodate as many as we can. We don’t have any empty seats. We go to the waiting list if a place comes available,” the principal said. 

It is a year since the Department got all Portlaoise principals to sit together and compare waiting lists, to eliminate any duplicate names.

“The Department did respond after that and put in extra capacity.They plan to do similar this year. They are in contact and prepared to put in extra capacity for the short to medium term,” he said.

That means a return to prefabs, once proliferate among all Portlaoise schools until they got new buildings, with Kolbe Special School still waiting.

“Compared to the experience we had of prefabs, they are of a different standard now, and connected to the schools,” he said

Cllr Tommy Mulligan who teaches in Scoil Bhride NS wants the Minister of Education to intervene for Portlaoise children.

He tabled two motions to the July meeting of Laois County Council, highlighting the lack of places across all pre-schools, creches, primary and special needs classes in the town, whilst hundreds of new families continue to move there.

"I am hearing from young families around the town that they are waiting at least one year for creche, two years for pre-school. Some will start school without early childhood programme. 

"To my knowledge, primary places in Laois are at capacity. People don't want to go outside their town, they want to be educated in their own community with their friends," he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley seconded.

“Children in Aghnaharna are being bussed to Stradbally and the Holy Family Schools are across the road. Very disappointingly, the Department didn't see any problem and said feeder schools should take the overflow. Raheen, Mountrath, Rathdowney, they are all bursting at the seams. 

“If we  push all the children in Portlaoise to feeder schools, then they are all lobbying for bus places. The Department is not being realistic about this," she said.

Portlaoise's population shot up from 11,000 in 2006 to over 25,000 by 2022. There were 455 new homes builtin the town last year alone.