“Parents & Children Distressed that school might not open for 3+ years due to paperwork!”
Two months since they successfully campaigned to prevent the new Drogheda Educate Together Secondary School from being built on a site in Drogheda rather than where they currently have a temporary school at Mill Road, Colpe, the parents Parent’s Building Committee are shocked to discover that it could be another three years before the permanent school is built.
Yesterday the Drogheda Educate Together Parent’s Building Committee issued a statement in which they called on Education Minister Norma Foley and the Department of Education to directly address their concerns.
“Two months has now passed since the DES secured the site for the permanent school on the Mill Road, the parents and children are shocked to learn that the Department are looking at a 2024 or later opening for the school.
“When the Minister announced the school would be delivered under the Department’s Design and Build programme (build of normally c. 18 months or less) the parents were reassured that the permanent school should be open for September 2022 and that no time or further tax payers money would be wasted with this expedited build programme.
“The Parents committee are very concerned to learn that the department are at a pre-planning stage for additional Portacabins for 2022 and “subsequent years” while the permanent building is being advanced.
“Already over €2,100,000 has being spent on the Mill Road site and the parents committee estimate that over €500,000 more of taxpayers money could be wasted on Portacabins rental and associated site costs if the Design & Build Programme takes over 3 years instead of the standard 18 months or less” they said.
“Most concerning for the parents is the lack of direct communication from the Department. Under the Education Act 1998, the Department has responsibility “to promote effective liaison and consultation between schools and patrons, teachers, parents and the Minister.”
The parents say they have heard nothing directly from the Department and have not been consulted or liaised with in any form by the Department in the last two months.
“The Parent’s Building Committee now calls on the Minister & Department of Education to abide by the Education Act and engage with them directly.
Speaking on their behalf, Parent of DETSS Student, Elizabeth Donnelly said: “The parents are bitterly disappointed that we have not heard from Minister Foley and the Department of Education in the last two months. We very much welcome the Ministers intervention in February however we now need reassurances that the permanent school is on track and will be open within 18 months under the Design & Build programme.
“With thousands of additional homes being planned for South Drogheda & East Meath in the coming years DETSS is experiencing unprecedented demand for school places in the coming years and it is essential these places are provided in a permanent school without further delays or additional costs to the taxpayers.
“We feel that local authorities have a duty of care to our children, with the level of housing permissions granted in East Meath, it is essential that schools and leisure facilities are the first priority and not an afterthought.”
Speaking on behalf of the parents, Guardian of DETSS Student, Rory Scott said: “It is our understanding that the DES are blaming the complexity of the project for the potential delays and the implications for various stakeholders including the overall site owner and Meath County Council in regards to the road infrastructure.
“Once again, as in February, we are calling for these stakeholders to sit down and iron out an issue now and we ask the DES to apply for the planning permission for the permanent school in the coming weeks, our children’s futures and potentials should not be affected by paperwork and bureaucracy.
“South Drogheda & East Meath are crying out for this permanent school now, we can’t stand by and wait any longer. We have the land and the Ministers commitment to the Mill Road site, we now need to see the shovels. We ask the Minister to please liaise with us now and invite the Minister to visit our School in the coming weeks to turn the sod on our permanent site with a commitment to open the school within18 months under the Departments Design & Build programme.”
