Whitecross NS may start new build in 2018

CONSTRUCTION work on Whitecross National School Julianstown, may finally be able to commence at the end of this year.

Principal of the school Liam Burke has been lobbying for a new building since 2003, when he sent a letter to the then Minister for Education Noel Dempsey, and local TD Fergus O’Dowd, outlining the pressure on schools in East Meath with regard to all schools, but in particular their school. At the time they had no available classrooms, apart from the then 30-year-old wooden units, which all inspectors to the school had agreed are not fit for purpose.

15 years later, they have two First Classes and one learning support class working from that same building.

Deputy O’Dowd, a former Junior Minister in the Fine Gael government, says he received a response from the current Minister for Education, Richard Bruton TD, following on from ongoing representations on progressing the project.

It states: “The Department of Education has conducted a high-level review of the revised stage 2(B) detailed design report that was submitted by the Design team on the 13th of March 2018.

Following receipt of the requested confirmations, a final stage 2(B) letter will issue, and the project will then progress to tender stage, A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.

This project has therefore been profiled to commence in Q1 2019.”

However, at the recent committee hearing, the school indicated that construction in the latter quarter of 2018 should be feasible and as indicated the Department would be in a position to facilitate this time frame.

The whole school community is completely frustrated by the process in place for delivering a school to our village,” said Mr Burke. “All around us school buildings have been completed including a number of buildings for schools that did not exist in 2006, when were first approved for a Major Project”.

Deputy O’Dowd said he hopes this can now facilitate the progression of the project possibly at the end of this year or in the first few months of 2019 as indicated by the Minister.” This is a vital project for residents and pupils of Julianstown.”