Construction work has begun on the long-awaited new joint campus for St Ita’s and St Mary’s Special Schools on the Cement Road in Drogheda.
The major building project will bring the two schools together in a purpose-built facility designed specifically for children with additional and complex needs.
Louth Labour TD Ged Nash welcomed what he described as “boots on the ground” at the site after years of planning and development.
The Department of Education previously confirmed that the project had progressed through detailed design, with planning permission secured as part of the major school building programme.
Tender documentation for the development describes a substantial new campus containing 20 classrooms for St Ita’s and 17 for St Mary’s, along with clinician and educational support rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, rooftop play areas, multisensory gardens and other facilities.
‘It will be worth waiting for’
Nash said he had been involved with the project since his time as a Minister in 2015.
“When I was a Minister, back in 2015, I made sure that the project was included in the Department of Education’s capital programme and that effectively ‘green lit’ the money and the commitment, for the first time, from the department, to build the new school,” he said.
“This was the key turning point and while it has taken a long time to get this to the point where the building work, which will continue for 18 to 24 months, has commenced, time was taken to ensure that this new school has all of the facilities one should expect for a modern school catering for the needs of children with special needs.
“This will be a campus-style purpose-built facility nursing facilities, sensory spaces, therapy rooms and more, and it will be worth waiting for.”
The wording above is retained exactly as supplied, including the phrase “facility nursing facilities”.
Major purpose-built campus
The current project is significantly larger than a standard school development.
According to procurement documents, the new facility will be arranged across linked one, two and three-storey sections and will include specialist teaching, therapy and support spaces.
“This will be a campus style purpose-built facility with nursing facilities, sensory spaces, therapy rooms, and more.
Nash said he was pleased to see the project finally reaching the construction stage.
“I am proud to have played a pivotal role in delivering the commitment on a project that Drogheda and the whole region can be proud of.”
He also thanked those involved in progressing the development locally.
“I also want to pay tribute to the Principal, the Chair of the Board and the whole school community for all their work, and indeed to my former colleague Paul Bell too, who, over his years on the Council, worked very hard to identify and secure the site to make this great project happen.”
The new campus will provide permanent, purpose-built accommodation for both schools after a lengthy planning and development process.
