Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher Leas Cheann Comhairle along with the staff and members of the Board of Management of Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maistrí Donegal Town met with Minister Richard Bruton and Officials of the Department of Education.
The subject of the discussion regarded the development of a new building for Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maistrí in Donegal Town. Pat the Cope explains that the current state of affairs should “not be tolerated in modern times.”
“The meeting which I arranged was in order to move the project of a new build for the Gaelscoil ahead, the Gaelscoil is a long time lobbying for a new building for their growing school and there is a clear and urgent need for the Department to prioritise this project.
“Currently there are 98 pupils attending the Gaelscoil and the lack of a permanent building is totally unfair and should not be tolerated in modern times, each school and their pupils deserves to have the best of facilities available to them whist they are in the educational system.
“This project of a new build for the Gaelscoil in Donegal Town, the Department of Education need to get proactive in making it happen and ensure its time effective delivery without further delay.
Pat the Cope added the delegation which made their case to the Minister and the Department comprised of Roisin Ni Cumhaill, Imelda Ni Mhuiri, Seosamh Mac Suibhne, Sean ó Domhnaill, Catherine James, Marcas Flannery and also joined by Deputy Thomas Pringle.
The deputation put forward a powerful argument for the Department of Education support for a new school building; they highlighted the success of the school and its growing numbers.
The frustration though is the slow moving pace of the Departments procedures and how time consuming it is to move from one stage to the next stage, with speedy progress almost impossible to make – it is clear when there is an urgent and tangible need for a new school building that the Department needs to prioritise a more rapid build in the case of the Gaelscoil in Donegal.
Pat the Cope stated it is going to be important now that the momentum which is gained from this meeting with the Minister and the Department is sustained and that the Gaelscoil is progressed to planning stage and ultimately to building stage.
“In order to attain that goal the Department will have to buy in to the project in a much more serious manner than hitherto, I will be calling on the Government to guarantee this project as part of the Capital plan and to place immediate emphasis on fast tracking the project to construction.
“There is an imperative on the Department and the Minister to step up and deliver this project in a timely and effective manner without the usual time stalling delays which you encounter moving from one stage to the next – this project needs to lead out in a seamless manner with complete emphasis on delivery”, concluded Pat the Cope.
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