Delight as third school announced

THE community of north Wexford has welcome the much anticipated news that a third secondary school for Gorey is now in the pipeline for 2021.

The Department of Education announced the development on Friday last seeking applications for a site and patronage for a new secondary school that accommodate 500 students with provision for the schools to expand to 1,000 places in the future to cater for further growth.

Making the announcement, James Browne TD described the news as a huge step forward for parents and children.

‘ This is a major step forward for north Wexford. Following recent requests to the Education Minister Norma Foley, I’m delighted that she understood the situation and that a patron and site for a new school will now be sourced.

‘Families across North Wexford will be delighted with this news and I will now make sure that this is a top priority,’ he said.

The deadline for patronage applications is October 21, and a parental survey will also take place.

Speaking to Elaine Clarke, Chairperson of the campaign for a third secondary school in north Wexford, she expressed both her delight and shock at the news.

‘We are absolutely delighted that is has been sanctioned. This is what we wanted after 18 months of work behind the scenes. If it wasn’t for the parents on the ground who supported us, we wouldn’t have gotten this far this quick.

‘It was a personal issue for me at the start but it was to benefit the whole area. It was never a political thing and those of us in the campaign didn’t care who got it across the line but we want to thank local TDs and councillors, past and present, across Wexford who supported this campaign from the start. Every one of them did their bit and now the kids don’t have to worry about this’.

She thanked people of all ages for their support.

‘If it wasn’t for everyone who came out to public meetings, the parents on the ground who stood outside primary schools getting signatures, we couldn’t have done this,’ she said.

An online patronage process system has been developed to provide objective information to all parents and guardians to allow them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model for their child’s education.

This will open for parental preferences soon after the patron application process is completed.

The Department will subsequently compile a patronage report for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group, set up in 2011, who will report recommendations for consideration by the Minister.

Principal of Creagh College, Paul Glynn and Principal of Gorey Community School Michael Finn both said that they would work with the new principle once a patron was decided on.

‘I was delighted to hear the news, and it brought back a lot of memories of how Creagh College was created,’ said Mr Glynn.

‘I’d be very interested to see it being created particularly in a challenging time economically in its year of opening, in a Covid-19 environment. It could open with 20 or 30 students using rented or temporary accommodation.

‘ There could be a lot of challenges there but I wish them well and it’s good news for the community. The lack of places for students in primary school has been a significant stress for families and this takes the heat out of the situation.

‘As well it’s not just the number in primary school now, it’s the weighed population who are moving in the area who are looking for a place in all academic years coming during the year,’ he said.

Mr Finn described the development as a ‘welcome relief ’.

‘We’ve two really good schools in the area and I feel that when the patronage is decided, it’s important then for the three schools to work together to make sure that Gorey is going to be really well served.

‘We have issues with overcrowding and lack of spaces in Gorey and it’s something I dread during enrolment time because I’m aware of the challenge. Gorey itself is such a popular place to live, it has a huge amount going for it and is popular to relocate to, so these people are going to continue coming in and the need for a third secondary school will always be there. I really welcome it,’ he said.

On the question of location, Senator Malcolm Byrne said that the St Waleran site will be suggested.

‘Wexford County Council has now formally offered the possibility of a site for the new school at St Waleran’s, and I have also spoken with Minister Foley and her officials about this as the preferred site.

‘The Department hope to make a decision relatively quickly on school location and this is much needed and we have fought for this for a long time. These are the two big decisions, and there may be a number of interested patrons who come forward’.

Senator Byrne said that further meetings within other government Departments such as Housing will take place later in the week to look again at the St Waleran site.

‘ That site is one of the possible options and given Gorey’s growth since Creagh College was built nine years ago, I see that it will grow to 1,000 students. It meets the education demand, and we could see that the Community School might be able to come down to facilitating less students than its current numbers.

‘Having spoken to Department officials almost every week, I was delighted with the news. It all came very one thing after the other when it was announced.

‘I want pay tribute to Elaine Clarke and her team, the parents and the students who fought for this. I want to particularly say thanks to Paul

Glynn and Michael Finn, they and their staff have been juggling these figures for quite a while and they have been fantastic and helpful on numbers. We need to acknowledge the pressure they have been under and it relieves some pressure,’ he said.

Local councillors described the move as a good news story.

‘I’m absolutely delighted with the announcement by Minister Foley, in my opinion she is the first Minister who has taken the issue seriously. It’s a cultivation of a lot of hard work by people in the north Wexford area. We need to focus now on the site and patronage being established as quick as possible,’ said Chairperson of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Joe Sullivan.

Board member of the WWETB, Councillor Fionntán O Suilleabháin echoed the sentiments.

‘Great credit is due to the many parents who have campaigned for this, especially Elaine Clarke. It proves that campaigning works.

‘Regarding the location, the Council planners are currently preparing the master-plan for the St Waleran site at Ballytegan, Gorey which should soon come before councillors, and senior council personnel will be engaging with the Department of Education shortly. However, there is also merit in the argument for other locations outside the town also,’ he said.

THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED. IF IT WASN’T FOR THE PARENTS ON THE GROUND WHO SUPPORTED US, WE WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR THIS QUICK’