Two Donegal schools have been dropped by the Government and work will not start on them until at least 2017.
Plans on both Gortahork National School and St Mary’s National School in Stranorlar were progressing.
But both boards of management have now been told the bad news.
Senator Brian O’Domhnaill said this represents a major blow to the pupils, parents, teachers and Boards of Management at both schools.
“The Minister for Education has confirmed in a written reply that the Scoil Náisiúnta Gort a Choirce new school building project will not proceed at this time or under the Departments recently announced five year programme.
“This is a devastating blow for Gort a Choirce given that the Board of Management has engaged in so much work and had taken the project to planning stage. It is extremely disappointing that the Minister has refused to consider common sense proposals from the school’s management,” he said.
He added the new school project for St. Mary’s National School in Stranorlar had also been progressing very well after the previous Government approved the project and commenced to planning and site acquisition stage.
The planning application is currently before Donegal County Council for consideration.
“Now Minister Quinn has dealt a devastating blow to the project by confirming this week that “in light of current competing demands on the Department’s Capital budget, it is not possible at this time to progress the project to tender and construction”. This means that construction will now not begin until at least 2017. This is unacceptable.
“This Government’s total lack of commitment to both these projects is completely unfair and wrong, particularly in light of all the work that has been done to date by the staff and the Board of Management,” he said.
Senator O’Domhnaill will be seeking to raise both these projects on the Seanad Adjournment debate next week.
“I will be seeking firm commitments from the Government that both of these projects can be added to the 5 year school building programme given that so much time, energy and funding has been spent on progressing them to date.”
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