Longford Senator queries delay in delivery of nine classrooms at Granard secondary school

Senator Micheál Carrigy called upon the Seanad for answers regarding a delay in the delivery of 9 classrooms promised to Ardscoil Phádraig secondary school at a debate held on Wednesday, 2 October.

Ardscoil Phádraig in Granard Co Longford were promised nine new classrooms in February 2021.Three and a half years later these have yet to be provided.
The school is currently at maximum capacity with a total of 370 students attending across all six years and more left on a waiting list.

The school currently has prefabs in place to accommodate the extra numbers.
Carrigy is a parent at the school and has been a member of the Board for about 15 years.
He informed the Seanad that the school had recently received funding under PATH 4, that has provided Ardscoil Phádraig with an investment to refurbish the old part of the school.
However, according to Carrigy the school is still in desperate need of extra classrooms.

“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,” said the Senator.

Minister of Education Deputy Norma Foley could not be present at the debate. The 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 will provide five classrooms, a music, a multimedia and a textiles room combined and a science laboratory and a science preparation area, and a user assisted toilet.

In regard 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.”

“It is not acceptable,” responded Carrigy. “An application went in and was sanctioned because there was a need there.,” Said Carrigy

The Minister for State took this into account saying,“I will go back to the Minister and ask what she can do on this particular project,” he concluded.