Longford Senator questioned the Seanad on failure to deliver classrooms

Senator Micheál Carrigy called upon the Seanad for answers regarding a delay in the delivery of new classrooms promised to a local secondary school at a debate held on Wednesday, 2 October.

Ardscoil Phádraig in Granard, Co. Longford were promised 9 new classrooms in February 2021.

Three and a half years later these facilities have yet to be provided.

Carrigy is a parent at the school and has been a member of the Board for about 15 years.

He revealed the school had recently received funding under PATH 4, a funding rollout that has provided Ardscoil Phádraig with an investment to refurbish the old part of the school.

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However, according to Carrigy the school is still in desperate need of extra classrooms, having reached its maximum capacity for students with more left on a waiting list.

“The facts are there is still a shortage of classroom facilities for the students at present. We want to know when we are going to get our science room and extra classrooms that are much needed so that we as a school can cater for the larger number of kids who want to attend,” asked the Senator. 

Minister of Education Deputy Norma Foley could not be present at this debate, Minister of State Ossian Smyth spoke on her behalf saying, “I am pleased to advise the House that Ardscoil Phádraig was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the additional school accommodation scheme. “

“The project involves the provision of five mainstream classrooms along with one music, one multimedia, one textiles room combined with a science laboratory and science preparation area, and a user-assisted toilet.”

In regards to when these facilities would be delivered the  Minister said , “At this early stage and particularly in advance of the necessary statutory approvals, it is not possible to provide a reliable date for when this school building project will be completed.”

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“It is not acceptable,” responded Carrigy. “We needed extra school classrooms in February 2021.”

“An application went in and was sanctioned because there was a need there.,” Said Carrigy “Two lots of children will have gone through the five or six years of the school system before this is built.”

The Minister for State took this into account saying he understood the frustration of parents seeing their child go through the school system having never benefitted from resources they were promised. 

““I will go back to the Minister and ask what she can do on this particular project,” he concluded.