Nolan calls for urgent clarification on new accommodation site for Gaelscoil na Laochra

INDEPENDENT TD for Laois Offaly, Carol Nolan, has called on the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to provide immediate clarification regarding the timeline for delivering a permanent new school for Gaelscoil na Laochra in Birr.

The original lease was for three years from July 2016 until June 2019 but that was then extended to 2021 following the granting of Planning Permission for a temporary change of use to facilitate the school operating from a property owned by Offaly County Council.

Since that date however, Deputy Nolan, the school community and its Principal, Ms Niamh Uí Chléirigh, have had to continuously engage with the Department of Education to have the transfer to a new permanent site escalated.

Minister Foley has previously assured the Gaelscoil that a green field site had been acquired near Lidl in Birr. However, the planning for the new school site had to be lodged recently or the school would not be in a position to open for September 2023 when it is due to vacate its current accommodation.

Following these concerns Deputy Nolan again engaged with Minister Foley in June.

The Minister confirmed to Deputy Nolan this week that while her Department has been liaising with the school patron (An Foras Pátrúnachta) relating to the proposed building project for the school and that a permanent site has been identified, and agreement in principle has been reached with the landowner, no timeline for when the new school building would become operational could be provided other than to say that it is the “Department’s intention to provide accommodation on this site as soon as possible.”

“The school community of Gaelscoil na Laochra need and absolutely deserve far greater levels of clarity on this issue than has been provided to date,” said Deputy Nolan.

“Without this clarity, the children, their families, the teaching staff and Principal Uí Chléirigh will be forced to operating in an ongoing and totally unacceptable information vacuum regarding the timeline for the new accommodation.

“I accept that conveyancing is at an advanced stage, but really at this point far greater levels of definite information are needed. Time is running out on the current accommodation lease and commitments to provide new accommodation ‘as soon as possible’ just will not cut it any longer,” concluded Deputy Nolan.