The Raphoe Royal and Prior school has been given green light to go to tender to appoint a design team on a major extension and new school gymnasium.
Joe McHugh, TD for Donegal, has today announced the plans today.
He said the next step is to tender for a design team which will start straight away.
“Royal and Prior is set to benefit from this major funded project, which will make a real difference to the school,” said McHugh.
“Funding has been approved to convert part of the school into three science labs and a prep area, one art room and one construction studies room, and today’s news is a positive step in moving the project forward.
“Raphoe Royal and Prior will see upgrade work to the sports hall where the school has a very strong tradition of badminton and hockey – where former Olympian Chloe Magee learned her renowned skills on the badminton court, and the school also secured funding for their hockey pitch through the Sports Capital Programme in the last year.
Headmaster of Raphoe Royal and Prior Dr Howard Welch speaks with Deputy Joe McHugh
“Huge credit has to go to principal Howard Welch, all the staff, the Board of Management and the whole school community for their support and dedication to this project the whole way through.
“This new development comes at a vital time for our construction industry. Two local contractors have successfully recently secured building projects in the County- Boyle Construction for St Mary’s Stranorlar, and Ponsonby Construction at Glenswilly National School.
“A further local contractor, Dorrian Construction, has begun works at Scoil Cholmcille, where I had the pleasure of turning the sod on their grounds earlier this week, where they will benefit from eight new classrooms, a hall, ball courts, removal of prefabs and works on the grounds.”
Deputy McHugh said there are many more schools in line with projects in the pipeline.
“We have more than a dozen major projects in the pipeline in the county and I will be continuing to ensure steady progress continues on planning and designing for other major investments committed to in the Capital Plan; for schools like Gaelscoil Cois Feabhail Moville, where they will be applying for planning permission in the coming week, Moville Community School and Scoil Íosagáin Buncrana and the Three School Campus Buncrana, where Donegal County Council is acting on behalf of the Department to negotiate land purchase for this project.
“Other projects included are St Columba’s, Stranorlar; Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí in Donegal Town; St Eunan’s College, Little Angel’s and Errigal College all in Letterkenny, as well as Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Illistrin to name a few, as well as commitments for Mulroy College, Loreto Community School Milford, Deele College Raphoe, Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair and Rosses Community School.
“The green light for the Royal and Prior today is tremendous news for the school community in Donegal.
“I want to wish everyone in the education community the very best in the time ahead and I am confident that our school leaders in Donegal will continue to excel in ensuring the potential of this generation and the next will be realised, “ McHugh concluded.
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