Cork City school gets go-ahead for second phase of building programme
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A primary school on the northside of Cork City has been given the green light to progress to the next stage of a long-awaited building project.
As previously reported by the earlier this month, Scoil Oilibhéir in Ballyvolane was forced to close a section of the school worked in by 13 teachers and used for special education on health and safety grounds.
“I want to stress to you that this is a hugely disappointing decision that we have been forced to take,” the school said in a letter to parents at the time.
“However, in 2024 no child or teacher should have to work in a building in such a poor state as Cill Barra.”
The school has been pursuing a two-stage building programme with the Department of Education since 2011.
While the first stage of this was completed in 2016, the school has been consistently engaging with the department to sanction funding that would allow it to proceed with phase two.
As the years progressed, Cill Barra "deteriorated significantly”, parents were told in December. The prefabricated building was more than 35 years old.
The Department of Education has since confirmed to Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O'Sullivan that the school’s building programme has now progressed to phase two.
There is also “recognition” from the department that the existing prefabs are in poor shape and need to be replaced.
Mr O’Sullivan said: “Its obviously disappointing that the school have been waiting so long to be approved to progress to the next stage.
“I’ve been working with the school and the principal and the board of management for a number of months.
“I’m glad to see that progress has finally been made. We now need to focus on the replacement of the modular classes that are there and unfit for use. That’s something that now needs to be expediated.”
A spokesman for the Department of Education said a technical visit to the school was arranged in order to assess and advise on the immediate health and safety issues.
“Following this visit, the school and the department are continuing to engage closely in order to support the continuity of education in the school pending the progression of the school's capital project.”