BROKEN FUNDING PROMISES FOR FOUR GALWAY SCHOOLS

Date Published: 04-Jun-2008

Four Galway primary schools are still waiting for building projects to go ahead despite being told a year and a half ago that work would start early this year. In November 2006, The Department of Education announced that work would proceed on Cappataggle Central School in Ballinasloe, Tirellan Heights National School in the city and 2 Oughterard National Schools However the Department has delayed sanctioning the work and there is growing worry in the schools about their situations.A new building was due to be built in Oughterard to facilitate the amalgamation of the girls and boys primary schoolsPrincipal of the girl's school, Patricia Coleman is appealing to Minister for Education Batt O Keefe to take actionCappataggle School has got planning permission for an extension but the department will not give the green light for the workSchool principal Michael Walsh says an extension is badly neededMeanwhile the Fine Gael spokesperson for Education is also criticising the Government for failing to start building work on Colaiste Iognaid 'The Jes' secondary school in the city.It appears the school has got planning permission for the work but cannot begin until the Department of Education releases funds. Brian Hayes doesn't think work will start this year.