Long awaited school expansion needs delivery after years of waiting

In the Seanad this week, updates were requested regarding progress on the extension of Scoil Gharbháin in Dungarvan.

The proposed extension comprises four mainstream classrooms, two special educational needs classrooms and three special education tuition rooms.

It has been years since the original application was submitted, leaving teachers, parents and the school's 320 pupils left wondering when the expansion will come to fruition.

“The question of increasing importance to the school community is when it is going to happen” Senator Joe Conway said this week whilst addressing Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Noel Grealish.

“The parents, school community and board of management know that it is going to happen, but the original application went in in 2018 and we have an expression in the Gaeilge that the Minister of State will be familiar with, being a Galway man, namely, ‘meileann muilte Dé go mall’ or the wheels of God grind slowly.

“After seven years of the preparation of the project, I think it is time to push through the design team’s report so that we can progress to planning application stage and make certitude of this really worthwhile project.” 

Deputy Noel Grealish responded to the query on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, saying: “I can only seek to assure the Senator that the Department will advance this matter as quickly as possible and that it is very conscious that, where additional accommodation is required, a significant lead-in time is necessary for a variety of reasons.

“I will bring back to the Minister the urgency of what the Senator said.”