Cavan school projects get green light

There is good news for those campaigning for improved school facilities in Mullagh, Virginia and Cavan town in yesterday's school building programme announced by Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe. The go-ahead has been given to appoint design teams for the provision of a new school to replace the existing St. Kilian's national school, Mullagh, as well as the extension and refurbishment of Virginia National School and St. Clare's primary school, Cavan town. The announcement of the progression of the three projects to design stage is welcomed by boards of management, staff and parents who have been pressing for the necessary additional space and facilities to accommodate expanding populations in all three centres. However, in the minds of the public there may be some disappointment that Laragh National School is not included in the programme unveiled yesterday by Minister O'Keeffe. The conditions at Laragh school have been highlighted at meetings of Cavan County Council and elsewhere in the public arena calling for a new school building. However, the chairperson of the Board of Management of Laragh School, Ms. Bernie Power, stated that the school had not applied for funding under a different, devolved scheme and the school is hopeful of securing funding under that scheme. Welcoming the news, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, said: "Despite the extremely difficult situation currently facing the public finances, the government continues to invest in modernising our school buildings and this year will be allocating €579 million under the school building programme. During the last year, in particular, I have had the good fortune to be present at the opening of many new building projects in schools right across Co. Cavan. These developments are a matter of great pride for the local communities involved and it is only fitting that we give our young people as modern an environment as possible in which to learn." He described the appointment of design teams to the school projects in question as a very important stage in the development process and he looked forward to further positive announcements under the school building programmes for Co. Cavan. "It is a long time waiting and it is very welcome," was the response of Mullagh school principal, Ronan McNamara, to the news that a new school has been approved to design stage for Mullagh. "We were very close four years ago and if this comes it is very welcome for the school, the community and everyone involved," he said. St. Kilian's primary school, Mullagh, has currently an enrolment of 350 pupils making it one of the largest primary schools in the county. Ten years ago it had an enrolment of 87 and the 400% increase in the number of pupils reflects the huge growth in local population caused by Mullagh coming within the Dublin commuter belt. On the extension to Virginia primary school being progressed to design stage, the principal there, Peadar Quealy, expressed his delight that it was getting the go-ahead. "We hope to get the design team in place and secure planning permission as soon as possible. It is our aim to keep it moving now," he said. Virginia, like Mullagh, has been coping with a massive increase in the local school population. Once a six-teacher school, it now has an enrolment of 377 pupils. Eleven portacabins rented at a cost of €7,000 a month are used to accommodate the extra pupils. Mullagh Fianna Fáil councillor Shane P. O'Reilly also welcomed news that the projects had progressed, as did Cavan councillor Patricia Walsh in respect of St. Clare's NS. However, the Principal of Laragh national school, Donal Donohoe, was disappointed that there was no mention of his school in the building programme announced by Minister O'Keeffe. He felt that it being located in an area with a smaller population than some of the larger urban centres meant that it didn't have the clout that those urban areas possessed. "We must keep fighting, we can't lie down", he said. The pupils attending Laragh national school are taught in one main classroom and four prefabs, some of which have been there now for over three decades. The plight of the school was raised once more at the February meeting of Cavan County Council. Words such as "inexcusable" and "deplorable" were used to describe the situation that pertained there. However, Cllr. Gerry Murray stated that the Minister told a deputation that he would review the file in the spring and would take a personal interest in it. On the other hand, fellow Fianna Fáil Councillor, Fergal Curtin, said that clarity was needed. "We seem to be going around in circles and that's getting us nowhere. The school is an absolute disgrace. No way should anyone be in those conditions in 2010," said Cllr. Curtin.