Laois Offaly TD says school principals at their 'wits end' over accommodation

School principals in Laois and Offaly are at their ‘wits end’ over school accommodation, a Laois Offaly TD has said. 

The Department of Education is currently in receipt of 11 applications under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme from schools in Laois and Offaly, according to information provided to TD Carol Nolan.

Deputy Nolan called on the Minister for Education Norma Foley to consider redeploying staff to the School Building Unit within her Department to escalate the delivery of these projects.

She also raised the matter directly with Tánaiste Micheál Martin in the Dáil, where she called on him to support the proposal as a means to assist in addressing any delays that may be impacting the delivery of additional capacity or school renovation works:

“I know that the Department is currently in receipt of 11 applications under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme, but my experience would also suggest that there is a far greater number of schools urgently awaiting progress on renovation works, such as St. Brendan’s Community School in Birr,” said Dep Nolan.

“That is why I have suggested the possible redeployment of any available staff from other areas of the Department to try and speed up the process,” she said. 

“Some schools are waiting years for work to begin even after approval has been granted. This would suggest that there are major blockages somewhere in the system, and it is not in the schools. I can tell you from personal engagement with school principals that they are at their wits end from the lack of engagement or slowness of responses coming from the Department.”

“I did have a very constructive engagement with the School Building Unit during our Oireachtas Education Committee examination of the issue recently and so I know they are trying to get projects delivered. But clearly the level of need is such that additional staff must be considered to get things moving and to allow our schools to make some kind of forward planning for current and future needs,” Dep Nolan concluded.