Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher Leas Cheann Comhairle along with members of the Staff and Board of Management of St Mary’s National School, Stranorlar met with Minister Richard Bruton and senior Department of Education Officials when they went on a deputation to Dáil Eireann on Thursday last.
The deputation met with the Minister and his officials in order to prioritise and progress the urgent need for a new school at St Mary’s in Stranorlar.
Pat the Cope added it was a critically important face-to-face meeting with the Minister for Education and his officials, in that all the issues which are currently holding up the final sanction of the new school building for St Mary’s were discussed and debated.
“When I arranged this deputation I was conscious of the urgent need to progress this new school project and how the rate of progress for the last number of years has slowed down.
“The current situation at St Mary’s NS is totally unacceptable by modern day standards and particularly in the context that a new school site is already purchased with full planning permission for a new school. I wish to compliment the deputation who attended the meeting with the Minister and put the case for seamless and accelerated progress for the new school in the months ahead.”
The deputation comprised of Fr John Joe Duffy, School Principal Fintan Keating, Board of Management members Frankie Quinn and Jolie Mc Mullan and local Councillor Patrick Mc Gowan, also attending the meeting was Deputy Pearse Doherty and Deputy Thomas Pringle.
Pat the Cope stated it is now essential that the Minister and his Department officials bring on board the concerns and views expressed by the deputation from St Mary’s National School in order to rapidly move this project forward, it is within the power of the Minister for Education to immediately move this project to tender stage and thereafter to appoint a contractor.
Pat the Cope continued; “It is only with that degree of commitment from the Government, will this project move to construction stage and finally solve the problem of accommodation and space for St Mary’s Stranorlar.
“I am confident that as a direct result of the case made by the deputation and the clear urgent need there is for a new school building that both the Minister for Education and the Department of Education will shortly sanction the construction of a new school for Stranorlar, meantime I will maintain the pressure on both Minister and Officials from Dáil Eireann in order this project keeps the momentum it has now gained from this meeting with the Department and Minister”, he concluded.
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