Former Fianna Fail Portlaoise representative says local Government TDs of procrastination over Kolbe School

A former Fianna Fail Local Area Representative for Portlaoise accused local Government TDs of procrastination over Kolbe Special School. 

Donal Kelly made the comments about Fianna Fail Minister of State Sean Fleming and Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan when news broke earlier this month. 

Mr Kelly claimed the most vulnerable in society have been abandoned by the government with the “sickening” decision to halt the building of the school. 

“I have never been a believer in an either/or scenario although it is hard not to fall into this trap with the news concerning Kolbe School in Portlaoise,” he said. 

“As we watch the tedious completion of the new library on Main Street which has shot millions ahead of budget, without so much as a book having been bought so far, it defies all credulity that the government cannot find the funds to start works on the Kolbe Centre immediately,” Mr Kelly stated. 

“Funds are magically, freely available for all and any other less important projects. The fact that the students in this facility are the most in need and vulnerable in our community and have been abandoned by government is sickening to the core. Any elected representative in our community who has a shred of humanity and common decency now has the opportunity to demonstrate these virtues,” he continued in the statement issued on Wednesday, March 8. 

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“Sean Fleming had been very quick to make the announcement of the developments at Kolbe in April 2021 and now the silence of the grave has descended on him with respect to the facility. Anybody with a modicum of common sense can see through the fudge he has thrown out with respect to the ESB carrying our preliminary works at the site, this is merely a delay and diversion tactic on his behalf and will undoubtedly be used as an excuse for nothing happening on the site somewhere in the future. While he and his government coalition buddy Charlie Flanagan procrastinate on this matter, the most cherished and vulnerable members of our community have been tossed aside like an old sweater,” he wrote. 

“I call on Seán Fleming to make a clear and unambiguous statement with respect to this vital piece of infrastructure immediately and end the suffering of the children and their parents. Quite frankly they have enough to put up with, without the added stress of this reprehensible, cruel and callous decision being brought to bear on them,” Mr Kelly concluded. 

Since Mr Kelly issued the statement, Deputy Charlie Flanagan said he has received assurance from An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Minister of State for Special Education, Josepha Madigan, on the matter of Kolbe Special School.

“Following reports that the project may be delayed along with 57 other school projects, I had an early meeting with Minister Madigan who assured me that any delays of a technical appraisal will be no more than four weeks,“ he said. 

In the same time, Minister Fleming contacted Minister for Education Norma Foley and Kolbe School Principal Orlagh Mahon. 

“I fully understand that the pupils in Kolbe Special School are the most vulnerable in our society as they have severe and profound disabilities and special needs.  I believe we should do everything possible to provide the best facilities for the pupils to spend their childhood and adolescent years as urgently as possible,” Minister Fleming said.  

“A new Kolbe Special School is my top priority.  This will happen despite this delay,” Minister Fleming added.